Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Infinity
by Gamefreak1996
Summary: Reboot of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Universe. Join Bolt the Shinx and Flare the Vulpix on an exciting adventure through a world inhabited only by Pokémon! When a great danger begins to threaten the well-being of the planet, It's up to Team Thunderblaze, along with the Lucario Guild, to save the day! Disclaimer: Pokémon belongs to Nintendo, Gamefreak, and Creatures.
1. Prolouge

"..."

"..."

"Why are you doing this?! What's happened to you?!"

"..."

"Y-you were like a father to me! I LOVED YOU!"

"..."

"WELL?! SAY SOMETHING!"

But the creature before him didn't respond. He just stood there, glaring at the boy standing before him, the red glow in his eyes illuminating the cavern they were in. Behind the boy was a chasm that seemed to go down forever. And all around the two of them, was stone walls, only breaking away at the tunnel behind the creature.

"A-are you even yourself anymore?!"

Again, no response came. Then the creature lifted his hand, stretching it outward toward the boy. A small sphere of a shadowy aura then appeared in the creature's claws.

"Wh-what are you...?!"

The sphere slammed into the boy's chest, knocking him back into the bottomless pit behind him.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Then...everything went black.


	2. Chapter 1

In a world where humanity has long since vanished from the face of the earth, there is a town well known for it's beautiful setting, it's rich culture, and it's constant festivities. This was Cumula Town. Every day, the citizens would awaken to the lively music of the local band, and the happy greetings of their neighbors. Airships would come and go, delivering and picking up supplies or passengers, and then flying off to some new location. The plaza would be filled with Pokémon, either shopping for goods or dancing to the band's beautiful music. Children would be playing games or swapping stories from home.

And elsewhere in the town, further north, a massive castle stood proud before the city. This was the famed Lucario Guild. Here, explorers could find plenty of work to do as well as use the guild's services. This would also be the place where young Pokémon could enlist as apprentices to become explorers. And just outside the gates of this guild, a young Vulpix was nervously pacing on the guild lawn, trying to muster up the courage to go inside. "Come on, Flare. No more fear! This is your one chance to make your dream come true!" She muttered to herself. "For once in your life, don't be such a coward!"

"I believe that would be quite difficult." A voice from behind the Vulpix said, causing her to jump with fright. "Especially for a talentless, timid little pipsqueak like you."

Flare turned around, coming face to face with a Sneasel; one she recognized right away from the scar he bore on his face. Flare backed away from him, only to bump into an approaching Scraggy, a Sandile right behind him. The three Pokémon surrounded Flare, the Sneasel in particular seeming to enjoy the look of fright on her face. "What's the matter?" he asked the terrified Vulpix. "Meowth got your tongue?" A small chortle came from his henchmen in response, but nothing came out of Flare but a small whimper.

"L-leave me alone, Razor..." Flare said, trying desperately to cover up her fear.

"Oh Flare, it's cute how you pretend to be brave (mostly because you're nothing close to brave), but you can't hide it from me." Razor laughed, circling Flare like a predator. The other two began to approach her from behind while her attention was solely on Razor. "I already know what you are deep in your heart. I know from all the good times we had together. So if you think you can scare me with that farce you're putting up, you're gonna have to think again." Flare looked down at the ground, trying not to let Razor see her face. This, however, was a mistake on her part. For when she looked down, Razor's underlings pounced, tackling her to the ground and pinning her there.

"HEY! L-LET ME GO!" Flare cried out, struggling under her captors' massive strength with no success. Tears had begun to drip from her eyes, and it only got worse when the Scraggy pulled her hair, forcing her head up so she was looking at Razor's face and the sickening grin upon it.

"Oh sweet Arceus, are you actually crying?" Razor laughed. The two others also laughed. Flare felt what little was left of her façade slip away, and she fell silent, the only sound coming from her being the barely audible whimpers of fear and pain. "You know that's not helping your little act of courage. Or have you stopped caring about looking brave?" Flare didn't respond. She only winced as the scraggy Jerked her hair again, causing her to wince. "Hey, Senshi, not TOO rough with her. Not yet, anyways."

"Wh-what are you going to do to me?!" Flare asked in a trembling voice.

"Well, First thing's first, sweetheart." He kneeled down and took the terrified fox Pokémon's chin into his claws, forcing her into an uncomfortable position for her neck. "What are you doing around here? Haven't your parents ever told you not to trespass in other people's territory? You could get in big trouble for loitering, ya know."

"I...I-It's n-none of your business, Razor!" she stuttered, giving one last desperate act of courage, even though she knew it wouldn't work. Razor didn't respond. instead, he swiped at her, cutting her cheek with his claws. Flare tried not to respond as pain flooded her cheek.

"Now, care to give me an answer?" Razor asked, showing his claws, "Or do I have to do your other cheek?" Again, Flare didn't respond. She only sobbed. "Suit yourself..." the Sneasel mused. He slowly reached his claw toward her other cheek. Flare trembled more and more.

"I WAS TRYING TO JOIN THE GUILD, OKAY?!" She shouted, the fear and pain being too much for her to bear at this point. She then fell silent again, except for the whimpers and sobs that were now clear. Razor glanced around, and let out a mental sigh of relief that no one had heard them or seen them yet. But he knew they were still at risk of getting caught. They needed to change settings quickly, lest their fun be spoiled.

"Well, tell you what, Flare, come with us to the lake, and I'll tell you something about joining the guild." He said. "A bit of advice if you will." He grinned maliciously as Senshi got off of her back and pulled her to her feet, again, by her hair. "Now...heel." He led the three of them, Flare being led along as if on a leash, to the crossroads.


	3. Chapter 2

"..."  
"Ugh...Where am I...?"

The young Shinx slowly opened his eyes, observing the treetops above him. "A forest...?" He tried to move, but he was too fatigued to even lift a paw. He tried to move something, ANYTHING, but all that moved was a tail. Wait...tail? Again he tried to move, and the tail swayed above him. It was wiry and black with a yellow star-shaped tip. The Shinx wondered who's tail it was, then, upon moving it again, realized it was his own. He forgot about fatigue and shot straight up onto his feet in surprise and shock.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-?!"

Several bird Pokémon scattered through the trees at the sudden outburst. Meanwhile, the Shinx looked at himself. He was now covered in fur, blue at the front and black at the back. And instead of his usual hands, he had blue paws. He felt his head. A large pair of oval ears and a tuft of mane on top. Quickly, he darted toward the nearby creek and looked into it. Looking at him was his reflection. That was the last straw.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?! WHY AM I A POKEMON?!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing among the trees.

Meanwhile, at the lake just outside of Cumula Town, Razor, Senshi, and the Sandile dragged Flare to the water's edge. "So then," Razor started after a moment of silence, a malicious grin on his face, "Ready to hear my advice?" The Vulpix just whimpered in response, afraid and uncomfortable. "Come on, don't be a baby! Are you ready or not?" Flare nodded. "Good. My advice for you is..." He took Flare's chin into his hand again, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Give up on trying to be an explorer. Give up on trying to join the guild." Flare's eyes widened with shock. She couldn't believe he was telling her this.

"B-But...I..." Flare stuttered, trying to look away from the Sneasel's scarred face.

"Look at the facts, Flare." Razor said, turning her head back the way it was. "You have no talent whatsoever, you're afraid of your own shadow, and you can't even do the simplest task without screwing up. Given all that, how do you expect to become an explorer's apprentice, let alone join the Lucario Guild, one of the best of it's kind?" Flare was about to respond, but couldn't find the words. She felt tears welling up in her eyes again, and the second Razor let go, she looked down to hide them.

"Geez, boss. You think you might've overdone it?" the Sandile said, looking at the trembling Vulpix beside him.

"She has to learn her limits one way or another, Kroc. She needs to know her purpose in life." Razor replied. "And that purpose...is for our amusement." his smile widened as he walked over toward her. Flare's trembling slowly began to stop.

"You're wrong..." she said under her breath. A claw swiped across her unharmed cheek in response, causing her to yelp.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Razor said, "I didn't quite hear you."

"You're wrong!" Flare said, this time more clearly as she felt her determination building. "I know my limitations, but that's exactly why I want to join the guild! To break through those limits! I don't care what you say! Just you wait, I'll become a better explorer than you ever-" She was interrupted by a sudden brick break from her left, knocking her over. Pain shot down her entire body, especially her ribs, as she struggled to stand back up.

"Hopefully that will knock some sense into you." Senshi said to the Vulpix.

"Looks like she's got some fire in her after all, eh Razor?" Kroc laughed.

"If that's the case, there's only one thing left to do." He flexed his claws and grinned, his cold eyes showing no hint of mercy. "Extinguish it." He then approached Flare and, when she got back up, knocked her back down. She let out another yelp and began to feel her courage fade again. She whimpered as Razor approached her, fear overcoming her once more. "We've already tried to reason with you, sweetie." He stomped his foot onto her head, causing her to again cry out in pain. "Boys...let's have a little fun." The three of them surrounded the terrified Vulpix as Razor once more lashed out at her.

The forest near the lake was mostly serene...except for the panicking Shinx running through the thick brush. How did I become a Pokémon?! Where the heck am I?! What's going on here?! These questions repeated themselves over and over in his head as he ran. He was so worked up that he didn't notice the steep bank in front of him and fell down it. He grunted as he rolled down the steep drop and landed into water. When the Shinx got back onto his feet, he noticed he was standing ankle deep in the edge of a huge lake. A clearing and path were on the other side, The sun was beginning to set, casting a beautiful orange and golden light over the water. As the Shinx watched it, he walked around the lake toward the more shallow banks so he could get to the path and follow it. Hopefully he could find some form of civilization to help him. However, as he walked around, he noticed something: A group of Pokémon was by the lake; A Sneasel, Scraggy and Sandile, all ganging up on a Vulpix. The Vulpix didn't even seem to be fighting back. Instead it just kept trying to run, but with every attempt it made, it just got knocked back into the lake by one of the three, coughing up water and gagging as it got back up. The feline Pokémon picked up his pace, running toward the commotion. As he got closer, he started hearing voices.

"Get up!" Razor ordered, yanking the poor Vulpix back up by one of her tails. He chuckled as he circled the weakened and mortified female. "Why don't you fight back?" He said, his grin widening. "Are you too scared? Are you just too weak to?!" He once again slashed at her with his claws, cutting her left flank. "You know, if there's one thing I hate in this world it's cowards and weaklings; and you're both." He nodded to his two compadres, and they sprang in. Senshi used Brick Break to knock Flare over, and Kroc used Sand Tomb, trapping her in a vortex of sand. Razor himself walked into the vortex, staring down at the shaking Vulpix with his cold cruel eyes and a smile on his face. "Maybe next time, you'll remember your place." He prepared to attack again, but then he saw the sand vortex disappearing. "What?! Kroc, what's going on?!" He looked around and saw a Shinx tackling the Sandile to the ground. Razor stared at this new stranger, irritation drawn across his face.

"Step away from the Vulpix!" the stranger ordered. Razor just let out an amused chuckle. "I mean it. Step away or get ready to feel some pain!"

Razor scoffed. "Come and try it." He beckoned to the Shinx, as if tempting him. Flare watched in horror as the Shinx obliged to Razor's wish, running straight at him. The Sneasel evaded one tackle attack, then another, his immense speed enabling him to outmaneuver the feline. Razor then lashed out with Fury Swipes, delivering a brutal combo of claw strikes onto the heroic Shinx. He then nodded to his henchmen as he leaped back to set up. Kroc burrowed underground as Senshi got into his stance and waited.

The Shinx stumbled to his feet, trying to overcome the pain from the attacks he received and letting out a growl of frustration. Why did he have to be turned into a Shinx? Why not a Riolu or some other bipedal Pokémon? Moving around on all fours felt extremely uncomfortable for him, and it felt like he was just learning to walk all over again. He didn't have much time to mentally gripe over it, though, as moments after he got up, he took a blow from below as Kroc knocked him into the air with Dig. Senshi then bounded into the air and struck with Brick Break, sending the poor Shinx flying toward Razor as he finished setting up with one last Hone Claws. He then waited for his victim to fall closer before letting loose with another Fury Swipes barrage. The Shinx tumbled on the ground, grunting in pain.

"Well, you certainly have more guts than that coward you're trying to defend (keyword being "trying"), but you're still a wimp regardless." Razor taunted as he watched the feline Pokémon struggle to stand back up. "Listen, kid. I don't want to rain on your parade, but if you don't have the strength the back up your bravado, you're no better than those afraid to fight. Keep that in mind before you attack someone out of the blue; Especially explorers like us!"

"This...isn't over...!" the Shinx muttered as he finally managed to get back onto his paws. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest, but he stood his ground. "You really think...you can find strength...in the suffering of others?! Are you so weak, you have to pick on those weaker than you... just to feel powerful?" Razor glared in response. "Judging from the look...on your face...I'd say I hit the nail on the head..." he grinned at Razor's growing anger, before collapsing again.

"Oh you hit a nail, alright." the Sneasel replied, venom in his voice. "The last nail in your very own coffin." He dashed forward, readying another Fury Swipes. "Call ME weak, will you?! I'll be sure to carve your words on your tombstone!"

"PLEASE, JUST STOP!"

Razor stared at the Vulpix now standing between her and the also surprised Shinx. Then, the shock and surprise turned into pity and amusement. "Stop? But Flare, the party's just beginning! And besides, he had it coming. Him and that smart mouth of his."

"Yeah!" Senshi chimed in. "So step aside and let us at the little furball. We're gonna teach him what happens when you mess with Team Darkstorm!"

"B-but any more and you'll kill him! Don't you see that?!" Flare reasoned

"Well, It's a Pokémon eat Pokémon world, Flare. And the sooner you learn that, the better." Kroc remarked.

"I...I-I won't let you! I won't let you hurt him anymore!" Flare yelled.

"You have absolutely no say in the matter." Razor scoffed.

"Maybe she doesn't, but I believe I do."

Razor flinched. Someone was behind him. The silhouette of a bipedal canine Pokémon.


	4. Chapter 3

"G-Guildmaster Lucario!" Razor stammered, giving a nervous smile to the aura Pokémon. "Wh-what a p-pleasant surprise!"

"I wish I could say I feel the same, but I don't." Lucario growled. "So THIS is what you've been doing behind my back, instead of your daily assignments."

"N-now let me explain, I-" Razor began, becoming more and more frightened by the minute.

"Oh I've heard enough explaining from Paladin." Lucario stated. "And I have sufficient evidence to punish you with. You will be skipping dinner tonight for this offense, and as for the rest of the times you've harassed or bullied the townsfolk...Well, we can talk about it in my room tomorrow morning."

"B-But-!" Razor started, but a single look from Lucario was all that was necessary to shut him up. "Yes, sir..." he moaned.

"Good. Now back to the guild and straight to your rooms. Go!" He snarled. Razor and his team then shuffled off to the guild. Flare was amazed that there was actually a Pokémon that could control Razor the way he did. But when he turned to face her and the Shinx, she began to feel nervous. His steely eyes seemed to go through her with their gaze as he walked toward them. Flare watched as he walked past her and picked up the now unconscious Shinx. "You should come along as well." He said to her. "Our nurse can get those wounds treated." Flare was a bit surprised, but nodded in response. "Good. Come along, then."

The walk wasn't long, but every step felt slower than it should for Flare. Her injuries sustained from Razor and his group of thugs made her wince with each paw step she took, until finally, Lucario decided to carry her too. He soon brought them back to the large castle that was the guild. Flare couldn't help but feel amazed as they walked into the front doors, for she had not seen the guild any further than the lawn. Lucario went to the left, approaching a door. "Now be polite to Audino, please." Lucario insisted as he opened the door to the infirmary. An Audino was busy sorting berries among a variety of shelves, and as she turned to see who was coming in, she let out a cheerful smile.

"Welcome back, Guildmaster Lucario!" she chimed happily. "Is there anything I can do for you? You didn't hurt yourself training again, did you?"

"Er...no, Audino, I'm fine." The guildmaster replied. "However, these two need a bit of patching up." He nodded his head to Flare and held out the Shinx.

"Oh my goodness! What happened?" Audino asked.

"Our troublemakers struck again." Lucario replied, rather simply.

"Those wretched little demons! I knew letting them into the guild was a bad idea!" She fumed. "Why are they still here after everything they've done?! You should have expelled them by now!"

"They have nowhere else to go, Audino. And they're too young to take care of themselves." The aura Pokémon reminded, rather sternly. "So, even if they are a bit of a headache to deal with, we still have to look after them. Remember, the guild is-"

"Like a family." Audino finished. "I know...sorry for speaking out of line."

"It's okay, Audino. You were just speaking out of opinion." Lucario assured.

Audino carried the Shinx and led Flare into the back of the office, where a few fresh beds were laying. She gently lay the feline down into one of them. "You can take any bed you want to, dear." she told Flare kindly.

"Th-thank you..." Flare said. She then walked up to the bed on the other side of the room and laid down in it. Audino brought her an oran berry and a glass of water as soon as she made herself comfortable.

"Now, just let the berry do it's work, dear." Audino soothed. "As for your friend, we need to use heal pulse, since it's not a good idea to try to feed an unconscious Pokémon." She walked up to him, her hand glowing with a pink aura. Upon touching him, the Shinx began to glow a similar color to Audino's hand, and his wounds began to heal. Audino closed her eyes and let out an exhale as she relaxed. "He'll be okay now." She stated. "I best tell the guildmaster. Please don't leave just yet." She then walked out of the room, leaving Flare alone with her rescuer. She looked over to him as he slept soundly, hoping Audino was right. Then she let out a gasp as she saw him stir. The Shinx was about to wake up! She watched as the small feline Pokémon let out a loud yawn

"Oh, wow...what a crazy dream I had..." He moaned as he rubbed his eyes. "I dreamed I was turned into a Pokémon, and was in a world where Pokémon could TALK..."

"U-ummm..." Flare started. The Shinx's ears pricked up and he turned his head, looking around.

"Huh? Who said that?" he asked, confused.

"I-I'm...over here..." Flare stammered. The male stared at her for a few seconds before going into a panic attack (his second one that day).

"Y-YOU'RE TALKING?! B-BUT YOU'RE A VULPIX! A POKEMON!" he shouted.

"Um...aren't you a Pokémon too?" Flare pointed out.

"Wait...what did you say?" the Shinx asked. Then he saw his tail. "Wait...so, it wasn't a dream?! I REALLY AM A POKEMON?!" He frantically looked all over his body. Sure enough, he was a Shinx. After a few moments of silence, the Shinx let out a panicked scream.

"C-calm down, Shinx!" Flare said, trying to make herself heard over him. "Hey! Easy...easy..." She carefully took his paw. "D-Deep breaths, Shinx...deep breaths..." The feline took her advice to heart and calmed down. Soon, Audino rushed into the room, followed idly by the guildmaster, Lucario.

"What's the matter?! Is everything okay?!" she asked, looking toward the shinx. "Anything hurting?"

"N-no, ma'am, I'm fine..." the Shinx answered. "I just...woke up from a bad dream..."

"Well, at least you're awake now." Lucario stated, taking a seat. "It takes guts to challenge a trio of explorers like THEM single-handedly. And great courage to stand up to them. However, all that aside..." He walks toward the window on the wall behind the beds and looked out to the night sky. "You may have to stay the night, just in case there's any more damage we don't know about yet."

"Th-thank you, guildmaster, sir..." Flare murmered, bowing her head in respect.

"Think nothin' of it." Lucario replied. "But we best let your parents know where you are and how long you'll be here. I'll write them a message." He took out a clipboard with a piece of paper on it, as well as Audino's pen. "So, Shinx..."

"My name isn't Shinx," he said, with a very slight edge in his voice. "It's Bolt."

"Right...Bolt..." Lucario continued to jot down information. "So, who are your parents, and where do you live?" Bolt opened his mouth to respond, but remained silent. He seemed to be trying hard to process something in his mind.

"I...I don't know where I'm from...!" He said. "I can't even remember anything from before waking up in the forest..."

"Oh dear..."Audino said, "It appears Bolt may have amnesia...You poor thing!" She walked over to Bolt and almost crushed him in a hug, only letting go when she noticed the color draining from his furry face. Lucario simply cleared his throat.

"Are you sure you can't remember anything?" He asked. "Nothing of significance?" Bolt thought, then answered.

"Well, I remember having been a human before waking up...somehow..." Lucario nodded with interest. Flare sweat-dropped, questioning his sanity, and Audino just stared. "But I can't remember my life as one!" Lucario simply chuckled. "Hey, what's so funny?"

"Well, the funny thing is...assuming what you say is true, about you being a human before somehow turning into a Pokémon, then you wouldn't be the first time this happened."

"G-guildmaster?" Audino stammered, surprised. Flare just shook her head, trying to make sense of this confusing mess.

"There have been multiple accounts of Pokémon who were once human somehow making their way here from other worlds, timelines, and dimensions. And one of those accounts involve amnesia." Lucario explained. "Bolt...whether it was an accident or destiny or some other force of nature that brought you here...I expect you can do great things."

"Uh...thanks, I guess?" Bolt said, still rather confused. Lucario smiled.

"Well, um... that was...interesting." Audino stuttered, still not sure how to react to the exposition. "A-anyways, how about you?" She asked Flare. "What's your name, and where can we find your parents?"

"O-oh...well, m-my name is Flare, and..." Flare paused. "Y-you can send the letter to my foster parent, Kangaskhan."

"Oh...wait, Kangaskhan's your mother?" Audino asked. "She never mentioned you before..."

"W-well...you see...she took me in when I had nowhere to go. She's like an actual mother to me, so please send it to her." Audino looked at Flare suspiciously as she finished her story, noticing something off. but she decided to overlook it and finished writing the note.

"And...done! I'll go have Swellow deliver the messages. You two should focus on resting."

"Thank you." Bolt and Flare said. Audino nodded and closed the door. For a while, the two were quiet.

"So..." Bolt said, striking up a conversation. "Thanks for trying to save me back there at the lake. It was really kind of you."

"O-oh! Y-yeah, don't mention it..." Flare stammered, looking away shyly. "Th-thanks for sticking up for me as well. A-and...I'm sorry about your injuries..."

"It's not your fault...Flare, right?" the Vulpix nodded. "Nice to meet ya."

"S-same..." Flare said, smiling a little bit.

The stars shone brightly in the night sky as the two Pokémon rested in their beds. However, little did they know this would be the start of a partnership, and an adventure never to be forgotten. They were also unaware tht they were being watched, for standing on the fence post in front of the clinic window was a shadowy figure in a black hooded trench coat, observing the Shinx...


	5. Chapter 4

Flare woke up to the sound of a trumpet being played somewhere outside, a fanfare of some sort, and looked around in confusion. Then she remembered the previous day's events. From Razor and his team tormenting her, to the Shinx (Bolt was his name, she thought) coming to her rescue, to Guildmaster Lucario bringing them where they are now: Audino's clinic, within the Lucario Guild. Flare let out a sigh and turned to the bed on the other side of the room, where Bolt had slept. However, to her surprise, the bed stood empty. The Vulpix thought he must've woken up earlier and checked out of the clinic already. A small hint of disappointment welled up in her. They didn't really know much about each other, but he seemed friendly enough, and he was interesting despite being weird. Then Audino walked into the room. "Oh, you're awake! Good." She said. "How do you feel?"

"Oh, I-I feel much better now, Miss Audino. Thank you." Flare said. "So how did Bolt turn out?"

"Let's find out, shall we?" Audino suggested, turning toward the bed. She then saw the empty bed. "Wait...he's gone?"

"You mean You didn't know?" Flare asked Audino, confused. Audino shook her head.

"He was still sleeping when I last checked on him about a half hour ago..." Audino pondered. "He can't have gone far. Maybe we can find him if we search the t-" Suddenly, a loud yell was heard elsewhere in the castle. Flare and Audino looked at each other for a few seconds, then hurried to the source of the sound. When they got there, they found Razor, Kroc, and Senshi, soaking wet and foul smelling. "What happened to you three?" Audino asked as Flare hid behind her, covering her nose to keep the vile odor out of her senses.

"Someone filled a bucket with sewage water from the town and set it on top of our door!" Razor yelled angrily. "I'll bet it's Zorro! that little punk's always playing tricks on everyone!" Just then, a tired-looking Zorua walked by.

"Hey, mind keeping it down? Some of us are trying to sleep here..." He moaned. Then he noticed the stench and gagged. "Ugh...what is that?!"

"Like you don't know, fleabag!" Senshi growled as he walked toward the Zorua. "Stop playing innocent! We know this was you!"

"What are you talking about? I just woke up to find out why you were yelling." the tricky fox muttered, still drowsy, apparently. He let out a yawn and continued. "I didn't even start setting up pranks yet...I'm going back to sleep."

"Zorro, what about morning announcements? And you three better attend as well. They're about to begin." Audino said. "Off you go." Razor muttered something as he waked by Audino, shooting Flare a dirty look as he saw her. His two teammates followed. "Still, if it wasn't Zorro, then who could have set that prank up?" The answer was back where they started, snickering at the success of his prank as he lay in the clinic bed.

Audino and Flare returned to the clinic to find Bolt waiting for them, a grin on his face. "So, did you enjoy the show?" He asked. "I got the idea at some point between chapters 3 and 4."

"Wait, what?" Audino asked, confused. "Chapters...?"

"YOU set that up?!" Flare asked, a bit surprised. "Aren't you afraid of what they might do to you?"

"Nah, not really." Bolt said. "They don't know I did it, so until they do, I'm pretty much in the clear."

"R-right..." Flare managed to replay. Then another thing came into her mind. "Um...Bolt?" She asked. "W-what do you plan to do now?" Bolt was caught off guard by this. To be frank he hadn't thought of it. He didn't even know if there was anything he had to do here.

"I don't really know..." He told her. "I guess the first step would be to recover my memory."

"And exactly how do you plan to start working on that?"Guildmaster Lucario asked, walking into the room. Audino stepped aside, bowing her respects. "With no memory except that you were a human, it'd be pretty hard to start such a large journey with no hints as to where to go next, or even where to begin." Bolt was silent. He had a point. "That said, I have a suggestion for you, if you wish to hear it."

"Well, given I'm empty-handed, I kind of have no choice but to hear it." The Shinx said. "Lay it on me."

"I can provide you shelter and food, as well as some basic training (So you can get used to your new body and learn it's full capabilities) if you join my exploration guild as an apprentice." Lucario proposed. "Now granted, being an explorer can be quite dangerous, but the benefits include decent pay, plenty of adventure, and certain privileges granted only to explorers, such as certain discounts."

"Well..." Bolt thought about it long and hard, considering Lucario's description, it seemed there would certainly be more to gain than to lose accepting his offer. "Alright, I'll do it. Sign me up!" Lucario smiled at Bolt's enthusiasm and spirit.

"Then henceforth, you shall be-"

"U-um...p-pardon me, guildmaster..." came the small, timid voice of Flare. Everyone looked to her. "I...I'd like to join the guild too!" She stated. Lucario was silent and still for a moment, then he walked up to Flare and knelt down.

"Being an explorer is a big responsibility, young one. And it's one that will put you in a lot of danger." Lucario told her, his voice gentle. "Are you certain you are up to the task?"

"I-I'll do my best, Guildmaster!" Flare said, trying to keep herself from shying away. "I may not be the most courageous or the strongest Pokémon... but..." The Vulpix's eyes shone with determination. "I want to overcome my weaknesses! I want to be brave, and strong! So please," she bowed her head. "let me join the guild!" Lucario was astounded by her strong spirit, but he smiled regardless.

"Very well," he said. "Henceforth, the two of you are apprentices of the Lucario Guild." Tears of joy ran down Flare's face as she smiled wide, as Bolt gave out a grin. "And given the both of you are joining together, why not form a team with each other?" Lucario suggested. Bolt and Flare looked at each other. The two of them barely knew each other, but given the short time they've been together, they agreed they might be compatible. They nodded their approval to the guildmaster. "Excellent!" he said. "Audino, go fetch a team registration form." Audino nodded and headed out of the room.

"Well, I guess that makes us partners." Bolt said, approaching Flare. Flare just nodded shyly. "Well, here's hoping we make a good team! Let's do our best!"

"R-right..." Flare said. Just then, Audino returned to the clinic room carrying a sheet of paper. Following was a Swellow who perched on the desk, her sharp eyes fixated on Bolt and Flare.

"Now then," Lucario began, taking a pen from Audino's desk. "names...Bolt...Flare...species...Shinx and Vulpix..." he paused. "This is a bit sudden, but have you considered a team name?" Bolt and Flare looked at each other, slightly nervous.

"N-not quite, Guildmaster..." Flare said. "To be honest, I wasn't quite sure we-"

"How about Team Thunderblaze?" Bolt said, the idea coming right into his head.

"Oh...well..." Flare inquired. "That actually is a good name."

"It does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" Lucario mused. "So do you two agree with that name?" Both of them nodded. "Very well. From now on, you are Exploration Team Thunderblaze!"


	6. Author's Note I

Hello Everybody, and welcome to the rebirth of Bolt and Flare's grand adventure through the Pokémon World. I understand a few of you may be a bit upset or confused about me taking down my old story. Well, there were two primary reasons.

1) The old story was absolutely riddled with poor pacing and grammar issues. By the time I realized it, it was too much to fix. There were also several inconsistencies within the storyline.

2) I had several new ideas for the story that, to work, would mean having to start fresh anyways. You may notice the changes between this version and the previous unless you're new to my work.

In the end, these two reasons were the cause for me to burn away the old and rise a brand new story from the ashes.

Now that that's out of the way, I believe there are some things we may have to discuss. First of all, I'm a college student holding a steady job, so I won't have much time to update my stories. I therefore ask that you be patient with me, as there will be more to come whenever I have the time. Second, I will gladly address any questions, comments, or concerns you may have either in the review section or in a P.M.

With that all said, Welcome to Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Infinity.

Thus concludes the Introductory Arc.


	7. Chapter 5

The sun had just barely peeked over the mountain when an Excadrill walked out of the guild and played his fanfare on his prized trumpet. The uplifting notes were the first the residents of Cumula Town and the students of the Lucario Guild heard each day, and it was a pleasant tune to wake up to, especially if you were a certain Vulpix who was ecstatic about finally being an apprentice. And as the melody drifted into the individual teams' bedrooms, Flare woke up with a rather cute yawn and turned to Bolt, who was still asleep. "Um...Bolt?" Flare said, tapping his face. "Bolt, it's time to get up..." Bolt just stirred and muttered something incomprehensible. "Huh? What did you say?" she asked.

"I...I couldn't eat another bite..." Bolt moaned as he turned to his side and kept sleeping.

"Come on, wake up!" Flare said, shaking the Shinx even harder. "We need to get to morning announcements!"

"Mm? Morning announcements...?" He lifted his head from his bed, giving Flare a half-lidded look. Then, his eyes opened wide. "Oh yeah! We joined the guild, and then...wait...We're late for morning announcements!" He shouted.

"That's what I've been trying to say..." Flare sighed. "Come on!" The two Pokémon dashed out of their new room, down the hall and almost slammed into a Pawniard at the stairway. "S-sorry!" Flare called out as she and Bolt rushed down. The Pawniard nodded as he climbed down himself.

Meanwhile, in the guild's front hall, Lucario stood on a balcony overlooking the room. "In other news," he continued his announcements. "we have a couple of new recruits who joined just last night. I expect you to treat them as you would anyone else in this guild, and help them should they need it." The guild members all muttered among themselves at this news.

"New recruits?" A snivy asked.

"Oh boy! I can't wait to meet them!" A Pikachu squealed.

"Especially if at least one of them's a pretty girl..." sighed a Riolu.

"Hmph." Razor scoffed. "I just hope they're not as pathetic as the last 'new recruits' that came in." Just then, everyone in the hall turned to see the Shinx and Vulpix run into the hall.

"Ah, speak of the devil." Lucario said with a satisfied look. "Everyone, I would like you to meet the new members of the Lucario Guild family, Bolt the Shinx and Flare the Vulpix." Everyone except Razor and his crew did so, and Bolt and Flare took their places among the crowd. "Continuing morning announcements, our weather expert, Castform, has detected another storm which will hit on Thursday, three days from now. Also, Kadabra has finished updating his team assembly service, and is now back in business. And finally, remember that the annual guild expedition is quickly approaching. We will give further details about it at a later time." Lucario paused to let the news sink in. "And now, with all of these announcements out of the way, let us close the morning announcements with the guild creed!" He cleared his throat and called out the first line:

 _Helping Pokémon in need!  
The Lucario Guild will do the deed! _The guild responded.  
 _As for those pesky outlaws!  
The Lucario Guild will make them fall!  
Always do what must be done!  
'Cause that makes our guild NUMBER 1!_

The guild cheered, and even Bolt and Flare felt enthusiastic, invigorated by the cheer; and they joined in the cheering and raising of paws or hands. "Students, I bid you a good day, and may all your endeavors fare successful!"

"Yes, Sir!" replied the guild.

As Bolt and Flare were about to follow the others to the mess hall for breakfast, Lucario walked up to them. "Hold on, you two. This is a good chance to see the whole guild for yourselves. My wife, Delphox, will guide you on the facilities and places this guild has. Listen to her well." As he said this, the Delphox beside him walked up to them.

"Salutations!" she said in a calm, nurturing voice. "I am Delphox, the second in command of the Guild, and as you were told, the Guildmaster's wife. Please come along, and no dawdling." She led them back to the main hall, and took a right, heading straight toward one of the doorways. Upon walking through them, Bolt and Flare were amazed with the gorgeous scene that beheld them. Beautiful plants and flowers of all kinds blossomed in neat little planters, and a small stream cut through the garden. As they passed through the garden, walking along the cobblestone path, they noticed an Excadrill humming a tune and tending to the plants. The three of them then walked a little further, and came across a plaza in the garden's center, with a variety of shops and services.

"To your right," Delphox began, "We have Houndoom's swap shop. Here you can exchange certain items to get something even more precious and rare. Then you have the booth beside his, Mightyena's Recycling shop. Here you can trade items you don't want for items that you can use. And the items you give are sent to the Exploration Team Federation to be used to discover unseen locations." Delphox then walked a bit further up. "And here, to your left, we have our Team Assembly service, headed by Kadabra. As you just heard on the announcements, the service has been updated a bit, so it now has even more features." She gave them time to look around, then they resumed the tour. Taking a door to the right, they entered a corridor much like the dorm area, but with only two doors. "These are the bathhouses, where you can relax and clean up after a hard day's work. The door to the left leads to the Men's bath, the one on the right leads to the Women's. Also, keep in mind that any perversion will be punished."

They moved on toward the back of the massive castle. "And finally...this rear corridor is where you will find Guildmaster Lucario's chamber, nurse Audino's office, and the staff bedrooms." She then walked up to a pair of doors to the left. "And here is where you can eat your meals: the mess hall." She opened the doors and walked in, Bolt and Flare following. The room was by far the largest they have seen in the guild so far. Four round tables lay in a neat and organized fashion, and at the other end of the room, a long table was set, where the staff of the building were set. There was foods of all varieties being offered from various booths surrounding the tables. Some hot, some cold, berries, soup, fruits, baked goods, they had it all. "We'll take a break so you can get some breakfast. Then we can tour the town."

"Um...A-actually, M-Mrs. Delphox?" Flare stammered. "I...could give Bolt a tour of the town. I know it well enough..."

"Is that so? Well, thank you very much, dear!" Delphox chimed, smiling. "I do appreciate it. But first, you might wanna join your partner in grabbing something to eat." Bolt was already at the counters, taking basically one of each food there was on display and sitting down with a large pile of refreshments. Flare sat down across from him.

"B-Bolt, do you really think you can eat all that?" Flare asked, a bit worried. "You could get sick." The Shinx didn't respond. He was already stuffing a poffin into his mouth, savoring the sweet flavor. He then tried another one. Semi-mild, but also slightly spicy.

"Take what you want, Flare." Bolt said, after swallowing. "This stuff's great!" Flare nodded, then took an apple from the pile of food. As they ate, they looked around. A Snivy was discussing a plan for a mission with a Tepig and Oshawott at one table. At another, a Pikachu chattered nonstop to a Riolu at her table. A third seat lay ajar from the table, hinting at a third member of the team somewhere. The Riolu caught Flare's gaze and gave her a rather charming look, which made her uncomfortable. She turned back to the still eating Shinx at her own table.

"Guildmaster!" shouted a voice from the entrance. Everyone turned and saw Razor running toward the staff table. "Let's go, you and me, right here and right now!" He leaped up and readied a metal claw, but before he was an inch off the ground, Lucario was already in front of him. he stopped the attack with two fingers and flung the sneasel straight up into the air with very little effort. The sneasel flipped around like a pancake before getting flattened by the impact against the ceiling.

"There, we've had our little match of the day." Lucario said, with a smile on his face. "Now do you need help getting down?" Razor just moaned in response. Then, he peeled off the ceiling and crashed onto his team's table. "Never mind." Bolt and Flare stared with disbelief. They hadn't seen Lucario move at all from his seat.

"When will Razor learn that he's never going to beat Pops?" the Riolu said, shaking his head with pity.

"We all know how stubborn he is, Auros. He won't stop until he beats the guildmaster." The Snivy replied. "Still, he really put quite a show on for the rookies, it seems." Flare flinched when she noticed the grass-type looking at them, and looked down sheepishly. The Snivy chuckled, then walked up to her and Bolt. "Excuse me, may I sit with you?"

"Knock yourself out." Bolt said, offering her a seat. Flare looked over to her, somewhat shyly.

"Thank you." the Snivy said, sitting down. "My name's Ivy, by the way. It's nice to meet you."

"Y-you too..." Flare stammered. Bolt just nodded, his mouth full of food.

The three of them chatted about various topics, and Flare found that she and Ivy had very similar interests. While she seemed cold and distant on the outside, it was now clear to the Vulpix that Ivy was a very kind and warmhearted person. "So, why does such a timid Vulpix like you want to become an explorer?" Ivy asked, "I figured you'd know the risks and dangers of the job." Flare was a bit quiet at first, then she spoke up.

"W-well...all my life I've been a coward who's afraid of everything in this world." She said. "That's why I want to become an explorer, though; to gain a bit more confidence and to conquer my fears." She looked over at her partner, who was stuffing a berry croissant into his mouth. "And, you might say I was...inspired a little." Ivy nodded with a smile, understanding what she meant. "So, what about you, Ivy?"

"Well...my father's a traveling archaeologist, and we travelled a lot while we were together. One time, while exploring a ruins, we were unfortunate enough to run into Regirock. Dad got knocked out, and I was standing alone against this massive rock golem, looking death in the eye!" She paused and looked at the awed reactions of the rookies. "I don't know what snapped in me, but I knew that if we were going to get out of there alive, I would have to fight. And so I threw attack after attack, wearing down the massive Pokémon and avoiding his devastating attacks. I barely emerged victorious."

"Whoa..." Flare whispered, her eyes wide. "Th-that's incredible!"

"It just goes to show, anything can happen." Ivy said. "Anyways, that incident revealed just how much potential I had, and I decided to use this gift to help others. That's pretty much the driving force of my reason." She then stood up. "Anyways, it was nice chatting with you two. Here's hoping we get along!" She walked over to the table her teammates were waiting at and the three of them left the mess hall.

"Well, Bolt, I suppose it's time I gave you that tour of the town." Flare said. "Let's go!" She led him out of the guild gate and off to Cumula Town.


	8. Chapter 6

"Well, Bolt..." Flare said as they turned off the crossroads and into the town's main plaza, "Welcome to Cumula Town." Bolt held his breath as he looked at the intriguing architecture and décor of the roads and plaza.

"Wow, it's just like the chapter description said! This place IS like an endless carnival!" Bolt exclaimed, feeling just as upbeat as the atmosphere was. The music and dancing, the games and the merchants, Bolt didn't know where to start. He didn't have to choose, though, as with a gentle tug, Flare led him down the west road.

"To your right is the Felecity Bank, run by Persian, and the Kecleon Mart, run by the Kecleon bros." Flare pointed out. "And to your right is one of my favorite places: the daycare!" She led him over. There was a bunch of baby Pokemon playing in the outdoor pen, a Chansey watching over them vigilantly. Flare's eyes turned to pink hearts, while Bolt watched with a smile. One of them, a Pichu with a berry in it's hands, ran up to the duo and held up his berry to Bolt with an adorable smile. "Awwww," Flare giggled, "He likes you!"

"How do you know it's a 'he'?" Bolt asked.

"Huh...good question..." Flare pondered for a moment, then shrugged. "Anyways, next door, you can find the Klefki Treasure Shop. You see, sometimes on your adventures you find treasure boxes that are locked tight. But Klefki can open them for you lickety split!" They then transitioned down the road and into the west Plaza, where upon a stage, a band played beautiful and festive music, as two Braixens graced the audience with beautiful dances and tricks with fire. "Here at West Plaza, many wandering salesmen such as move tutors and merchants with rare items set up shop here. And then there's the inn, where we actually gotta stop at for something..." She headed in, Bolt following her curiously.

The inn was packed with various Pokémon all doing various activities. A few ate at the tables scattered around the lobby, some were waiting to check into their rooms at the counter, and a Plusle and Minun whispered to each other excitedly over something. All the while, a Kangaskhan darted to and fro, keeping up a brisk pace to level with the steady number of customers she was having. Bolt was amazed that there was anyone who could keep up with so many customers and things to do. Then the Kangaskhan noticed them, especially Flare. "Flare, my sweetie!" she cried out, running straight to her and catching her in a powerful hug.

"M-Ms. Kangaskhan-!" Flare choked out, squirming in her grasp, "I...I can't breathe!"

"Oh, sorry, dearest." Kangaskhan said, loosening her grip. "It's just that I'd been so worried about you! I mean, I got the letter from the guild, but why didn't you return home last night? Surely, 24 hours was enough to heal some 'minor wounds', as the letter said."

"W-well...you see..." Flare stammered nervously. "I...I finally did it, Ms. Kangaskhan! I joined the guild!" Kangaskhan's eyes widened with delight.

"How wonderful! You're on your way to fulfilling your dreams!" She sang out happily. All around the inn, Pokémon congratulated the Vulpix.

"Hey congrats, kiddo!"

"Knew ya had it in ya!"

"Kids...they grow up so fast..."

"Th-thank you everyone..." Flare said, a bashful look on her face. "A-anyways..." Suddenly, she was cut off by a gentler hug from the innkeeper.

"Flare, when I found you, I knew you were going to accomplish big things. And I know you're going to become a great explorer, just like your father and brother." Kangaskhan spoke so kindly, Flare felt her eyes water. "Just...promise me you'll come work here when you can spare the time. You'll get paid, of course, and i'll even treat you to free meals."

"Hey, uh...speaking of meals..." Bolt spoke up, his stomach growling, "Got anything to eat?"

"Didn't you just have a giant breakfast just two hours ago?!" Flare asked, surprised.

"Yeah, but I'm feeling a little empty still. Just a snack should do." Bolt said.

"Say no more, sweetie. Just wait a bit, and I'll have something set for you." Kangaskhan said. Then she dashed off to the kitchen, much to the dismay of the Pokémon waiting at the front counter. Flare let out a sigh before taking a stool and, with some effort, pushing it up to where the line of Pokémon awaited. She then began assigning vacant rooms, accepting rental fees, and sorting out any issues with troubled guests. Soon, all customers in the lobby were satisfied. And when Kangaskhan came out to see them such, she let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Flare. I appreciate it."

"W-well, explorers help people who need it, right?" Flare said.

"Indeed, they do. Well...the good ones, anyways." Kangaskhan finished that sentence with a hint of bitterness in her voice as she patted her empty pouch. "But I digress..." She placed down a plate of oran-sitrus salad where Bolt was sitting. "Enjoy your meal!"

"Thanks! Alright, down the hatch!" Bolt said, and he began stuffing it in. Kangaskhan and Flare watched with large sweatdrops on their brows as Bolt finished half the salad in under a minute.

"So, is he your new partner?" Kangaskhan asked Flare kindly.

"Y-yeah...he is..." the Vulpix replied, somewhat embarrassed. "B-bolt, slow down, you're gonna choke!"

"Well, he seems rather...nice..." Kangaskhan said, "Not one for table manners, but still friendly." Just then, Swellow flew into the Inn.

"I'm looking for Bolt the Shinx and Flare the Vulpix." She demanded in a sharp voice. Immediately, the whole inn pointed to them, except Kangaskhan. "Good, there you are. Mistress Delphox is looking for you two. You best hurry back to the guild now."

"Hang on, let me finish up my snack!" Bolt said, picking up his already rapid eating pace.

"I said NOW!" Swellow yelled, grabbing the Shinx by his tail and trying to pull him out.

"H-hey wait! I still have a few more berries to-" His grip on the table failed, and he was hoisted into the air and hauled out of the inn. "NOOOO-!"

"U-um..." Flare stammered, "W-well, I'll come back to get my things from my room after this..."

"Actually, I can help with that while you're busy, if you want." Kangaskhan said.

"S-sure, thanks..." Flare gave Kangaskhan a hug. "I love you...Mom..." Kangaskhan hugged her back and sent her on her way to the guild, smiling with pride at the daughter she never thought she'd have. With that thought in mind, her hand moved to her empty pouch, and sighed.


	9. Chapter 7

"So let me get this straight," a Riolu said as he and Delphox walked down the hall. "You want me to guide the rookies through how missions work, and to go with them as backup. Am I in the ballpark?"

"Yes, Auros." Delphox said, "And if you don't, I'm cutting your allowance."

"Whoa, Mom, settle down!" Auros stammered, "I never said I wouldn't do it. Besides, this might be a nice opportunity to get back in shape!"

"With fighting or flirting?" Delphox asked as a joke.

"Flir-uh, fighting! Yes, lots and lots of fighting." Auros answered. "And possibly scoring a cute girl in the process." He added under his breath. Delphox laughed.

"Oh, and no showboating. Otherwise, I'm going to have a word with your father about your mission priveliges." Delphox muttered. "Got it?"

"Okay, that's going too f-" the Riolu was immediately hushed by a glare. "I, uh...I mean, sure thing Mom." They walked into the main hall where the two bulletin boards were kept. Two other teams were checking the outlaw notice board already, so they headed to the mission board and looked over the posted assignments. Just then, Swellow came in and dropped Bolt onto Auros, Flare dashing in right after.

"Y-you wanted to see us, Mistress?" Flare asked.

"As a matter of fact, Flare, I did." Delphox said. Then she turned back to the board. "Now let's see...ah! Here's a good one." She pulled a paper off of the board.

"What's that?" Bolt asked as he got up.

"This is your very first mission as an exploration team." Delphox explained, looking over the assignment. "It's from one of our residents too." She handed them the mission so they could see it for themselves:

 _Please save me nephews, Plusle and Minun! I can't find them anywhere around the house, and I'm afraid they might have gone to Rockslide Ravine!  
-Dynamo the Electabuzz_

"Wait a minute, I think a Plusle and Minun were at the inn earlier today!" Flare said. "Why would he think they went to Rockslide Ravine?"

"Well, they probably made their way to the inn to hide from their uncle until he gave up lookin'." Auros deducted, "So they might have made their move at some point during or after your visit."

"Then we have to go after them! They can't be too far ahead!" Bolt said. "To Rockslide Ravine!" He was about to take off when Auros grabbed his tail.

"Hold on a sec there, rookie." He said. "Do you really think you can just waltz right into a mystery dungeon unprepared?"

"Mystery dungeon? What's that?" Bolt asked. Auros gawked at him.

"You mean to tell me you don't know what a mystery dungeon is?!" He chuckled. "How much of an idiot are you?"

"Auros!" Delphox snapped. "That was very rude!"

"Sorry, I was just caught off guard." Auros quickly said, sweating profusely under Delphox's blazing glare.

"Well, Bolt lost all his memories when he came here..." Flare said. "Y-you see...he was once a human." Auros took all this in with a straight face. Then, after about five seconds, he laughed.

"Oh Arceus, that's a good one, Flare!" He said between laughs. "A...human...wait, you're not kidding?" Both of them shook their head. "Oh..."

"Anyways...Mystery dungeons are mysterious places that change with every time you go into them. Some of them are short and simple, others can be long and filled with dead ends, false passages, and powerful, aggressive Pokémon." Delphox explained. "The only way out of a mystery dungeon once you're in one is to get to the end or complete any assignments you have there."

"Sounds pretty neat." Bolt said, taking in the information.

"It is never a good idea to go unprepared into a dungeon. If you faint in one, such as get knocked out by aggressive pokemon or fainting from hunger, you'll be kicked out with some of your items and money confiscated. That's why..." she took out a small silver box, "I have these for you." Bolt and flare opened the box to find a beginner's treasure bag, two sets of goggles with logos between the lenses, and two accessories.

"Wow, thanks!" Bolt said excitedly, immediately taking a red scarf from the box and trying it on. He then put the goggles on his head and did a pose. "How do I look. Pretty awesome, right?"

"I dunno..." Auros chuckled. "I think it looks a bit goofy on you."

"W-well..." Flare stammered. "I think it suits you." She took a light blue bandana and tied it around her neck, putting her goggles over it. "By the way, what're the goggles for?"

"Well, you see, the exploration team federation relies on airships to get to far away places quickly, and the airship companies rely on the ETF to keep trade routes and such safe to use." Auros said. "So to show the correlation between the two factions, they gave us these goggles to signify our ranks, like how they used badges a while ago."

"Makes sense, I guess..." the Vulpix replied. "Anyways, about the mission..."

"Right. To recap..." Auros began. "We're looking for Dynamo's twin nephews, a plusle and minun, who have wandered off to Rockslide Ravine. I suggest we head out now."

"Right! Team Thunderblaze and co, move out!" Bolt called out, dashing out before anyone could react.

"He's certainly...energetic, isn't he?" Delphox mused, a sweat drop hanging from her head.

"I just hope he isn't a pain in the-" Auros's remark was stopped with another glare from Delphox. With a sigh, he followed Bolt along with Flare.


	10. Chapter 8

Bolt, Flare, and Auros arrived at the entrance of Rock slide Ravine a few minutes after they left the guild. Since it was close by, there was no need to use the airship services. Bolt looked up at the imposing cliffs surrounding the entrance to the dungeon, and the distortions in the air in front of them. "Uh...what's with that?" he asked.

"That's the dungeon entrance. It will warp us to the first floor of the dungeon." Auros pointed out. "By the way, expect to see a lotta rock types here. Hence the name."

"B-but if there's mostly rock-types, that means my fire attacks won't do very much..." Flare murmured. "And I don't think bolt has any electric attacks, not to mention how futile they'll be."

"Gee, thanks for the reassurance." Bolt said as a joke.

"Fortunately, you two only have one assignment on this mission: learn the ropes and the procedures of an explorer. That said, since I have more experience and the type advantage (given I'm a fighting-type), I'll lead." Auros explained. "Let's go." He led the duo into the distorted area. Bolt and Flare felt the ground disappear under their feet, the sensation of falling coming to them as a surprise. After a few seconds, they were standing on a rock surface, surrounded on all sides by tall cliffs. A path led onward into a labyrinth of corridors and chambers.

"Whoa...that was weird..." Bolt said.

"You'll get used to it. Trust me, I did." Auros said. "So, what do you think, Flare? Not every day you get to travel in a mystery dungeon with a veteran explorer." He gave her a charming glance, making Flare blush and feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"U-um...y-yeah..." She said. She looked nervously to the ground. Bolt rolled his eyes as the three of them walked forth.

As they advanced, many rock-type Pokémon attacked them from all different directions, as Auros had predicted. Thankfully, Auros's fighting skills were incredible, at least from Bolt and Flare's current standards. He moved with such speed and struck with such might, that nothing had a chance to hit him back. And his technique and balance were just right too. Onward they traveled through winding paths and massive rooms. As they ran into more Pokémon, Bolt and Flare began to join the fray as well. Flare had somewhat of an easier time keeping enemy Pokémon at bay with her ranged Ember attack, and it did solid damage, despite the lack of effectiveness, since most rock-types are more physically defensive. Not only that, her growl attack made great support, reducing damage done to her allies by physical attacks. Bolt, on the other hand, was still not used to having the body of a Pokémon. His meager attacks barely did anything to the Rock-types, and he didn't quite know how to use a move.

"Bolt, try picturing your goal in your mind, then carry it out!" Flare suggested.

"Picture my goal in my mind..." Bolt repeated to himself, facing off with a Geodude, "And...Carry it out! TACKLE!" He rammed the Geodude head-first...which did more damage to him than his target. Thankfully, Flare and Auros were able to finish the job.

"W-well...you were close..."Flare said, as Auros helped Bolt up.

"That was more of a head butt than a tackle. not the best move for the job..." Auros chuckled. Bolt groaned and held his head, where a large bruise was forming. Flare gasped.

"O-oh my gosh, a-are you alright?" she asked. "H-here...I think I have something in here..." She dug through the treasure bag. "Here it is!" She took out an Oran berry and gave it to the injured Shinx.

"Thanks!" Bolt said, gleefully popping the berry into his mouth and savoring the flavor. In a matter of seconds, the wound on his head had vanished. "That helped a lot!"

"D-don't mention it..." Flare stammered bashfully.

"Well, you seem to know your items quite well, cute stuff." Auros chimed. Once more, Flare blushed and looked down. "But consumable items aren't all that you can find. Like This for instance!" He held out his bicep, showing something like a band wrapped around it. "This Power band gives my physical attacks an extra boost! In fact, that azure scarf you're wearing (which looks great on you by the way) boosts your special attack and special defense."

"What about mine?" Bolt asked.

"That crimson scarf boosts attack and speed. Both are very rare items, so don't lose those." Auros pointed out.

They then found the stairs and moved on to the next floor. Along the way, the Riolu kept flirting with the Vulpix, annoying Bolt to no end. "Ya know, I got a problem." Auros said, giving Flare his signature ladies' man grin.

"O-oh...wh-what is it you have a problem with...?" Flare asked, once again starting to feel nervous.

"I've got two reservations for the big Braixen Sisters show tonight, but I'm alone." He purred seductively. "Would you mind accompanying me?"

"Oh, ummm..." Flare stammered. "N-no thank you...I-I'm not into dancing or anything like that...sorry..."

"Ouch. You're quite cold-hearted for a fire-type." Auros teased.

"Maybe she's not into hotheads like you?" Bolt snickered from behind. Flare did her best to suppress a laugh while Auros shot a killer glare at Bolt. "What?"

"I don't appreciate insolence, little yarn-chaser." Auros spat.

"What did you call me, mutt?!" Bolt shot back, getting into Auros's face.

"You do realize I could flatten you worse than any boulder here, right?" Auros growled, cracking his knuckles.

"Come on, then, flea condo!" Bolt snarled. "COME AT M-"

"Stop it! Both of you!" Flare shouted, getting their attention. "We have a job to do as a team! Can we please just put an end to this and move on with it?!" The two were silent for a bit, and Flare put a paw to her mouth. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to snap like that!" She looked down. "I...I just don't want to see my teammates fight..."

"...Flare...I'm sorry." Bolt said.

"Ditto." Auros added.

"Where?" Bolt asked as a joke, pretending to be looking around. This time, Flare did laugh. So did Auros.

"You're alright, you two. You're alright." Auros said. Then they pressed on. Soon, they reached the end of the dungeon. There, Plusle and Minun were playing, having the time of their lives.

"Plusle! Minun!" Flare called out, "Over here!" The two small electric types turned and saw her, but before they could react, the ravine shook, from the top of the walls, to the ground they were on. Suddenly, loud noises like clattering rocks could be heard, only much louder.

"ROCK SLIDE!" Auros shouted over the dreadful noise. "TAKE COVER!" Bolt and Auros quickly brought the twins to a safe crevice to hide in. Flare ran to join them, but then, a rock nicked her in the leg. She let out a yelp and fell over, trying to get up, but the rock had pinned her leg to the ground. Rocks kept tumbling around her as she trembled in fear.

"BOLT! AUROS! HELP ME!" She cried out. "I'M STUCK!" Bolt wasted no time dashing right to her.

"Stay here!" Auros commanded to the twins, as he dashed out after Bolt. Even with all his might, Bolt couldn't budge the boulder. So he shielded Flare until Auros charged in and used Force Palm to send the boulder flying into the Cliffside with a grunt.

"Wait...boulders grunt?" Bolt asked. Then the massive stone started to move, revealing an arm.

"That's not a boulder...It's Golem!" Auros said, as the megaton Pokemon stood on it's short legs, looking rather annoyed at the three of them. With a bellow, he charged at them, it's eyes filled with fury.


	11. Chapter 9

"Flare, are you alright?" Bolt asked as he stood alongside Auros between her and the charging Golem.

"I...I think so..." She tried to get up, but felt a sharp pain in her injured leg and yelped again. "Ow...!"

"It's probably broken. And right when we ran outta Oran berries too..." Auros sighed. "Get her to the crevice with the twins and protect them. I'll handle this!" With that he turned toward the massive rock-type and dashed forward, striking his opponent with a barrage of force palms. Golem winced and slowed down, but then knocked Auros back with a Rollout attack. The Riolu quickly recovered, landing on his feet before smiling and beckoning to the massive foe before him. Angered, Golem stomped on the ground, making it tremble. The force caused the ground beneath Auros to whip up and send him sprawling into the dirt.

"How dare you insignificant brats invade my turf and attack me!" Golem shouted. "I'll teach you some respect!" Tucking his head and limbs in, he performed another rollout, heading straight for Auros. the Emanation Pokémon simply grinned as he was seemingly flattened into the dust. Bolt and Flare watched in horror, but when the dust cleared, there was no body, only a hole. Before Golem could make sense of this, however, Auros shot out from under him like a puppy-sized bullet and walloped him in the forehead. Golem cried out and staggered back, rolling onto it's rock shell, unable to get up. "HEY!" he shouted, "THAT'S NOT FAIR! GET BACK HERE AND FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN!" he continued his ranting as Auros walked up to them.

"See? Easy as that." Auros said with a smirk. Then, something behind him moved.

"Peek-a-boo..." Golem said, grinning as he leaped into the air, falling toward them. "I CRUSH YOU!"

"Auros, look out!" Bolt shouted as he shoved the Riolu out of harm's way. The creature slammed into the ground just before the crevice and peeked in at the terrified twins as they cowered behind Flare, who looked just as terrified.

"Awwww, how cute." He said, suddenly grabbing Flare by the tails and holding her upside down. "Trying to play hide and go seek?"

"H-hey!" Flare shouted, thrashing about and trying to escape the megaton Pokémon's mighty grasp. "Let me go!"

"Get your hands off her!" Bolt shouted as he and Auros ran forth. But another Bulldoze attack was enough to send the boys crashing to the ground again.

"You think I would let you go after what you did?" Golem laughed. "Oh no, dearie. I'm afraid I'm going to have to punish the three of you!"

"I said...l-let...me...GO!" She shouted, firing a few embers into the rock-type's face. He screamed in agony and dropped the Vulpix as a burn formed on his face. Flare tried to scamper back into the crevice, but her tails got pinned by the larger Pokémon's foot.

"You...little...!" Golem growled angrily as he reached down to grab her. Flare closed her eyes, waiting for him to crush her in his grasp. But it didn't happen. Bringing about a large surprise for both the predator and his current prey, Bolt shot forth and tackled the Golem, knocking him over and sending him rolling into a wall. A bit dazed from the impact, it took Bolt a few seconds to stand up straight again.

"Th-thanks, Bolt..." Flare stammered. "B-but how did you-?!"

"I used leer to lower his defenses." Bolt said. "Then I walloped him when he was off guard."

"And you're going to pay dearly for that!" Golem bellowed as he charged at them once more. Bolt was about to meet him head-on, when another voice shouted.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" It was Auros. In his hands he had a large amount of energy flowing between his palms rapidly. Bolt and Flare quickly moved. "FOCUUUUS...BLAST!" He fired the projectile straight into Golem's face, sending him to the ground, not to get up for a while.

"We...We did it!" Bolt shouted with joy. "We won!"

"I gotta say, Flare, that was a gutsy move, burning his face like that. nice." Auros said. Flare blushed, but this time, she was feeling too thrilled to feel embarrassed. "So, to celebrate our first victory together..." He came closer, and the discomfort began to settle in. "How about that dance show I mentioned previous chapter? You in?"

"N-no, thank you," Flare said, "I'm sorry...b-but no."

"Suit yourself, good-lookin'." Auros said. "Guess some other lucky babe is gonna go out with me tonight."

"Uh...forgetting something, Romeo?" Bolt said, indicating the twins on his head. "We got a mission to complete."

"Oh, fine." Auros pouted. Then, with the logo pieces of their goggles glowing, they were warped back home to the guild.

Dynamo was ecstatic to see his nephews unharmed. "Watt! Joule!" he cried out (in an Irish brogue), tears of joy in his eyes. "Thank goodness you two're alright!"

"We probably wouldn't have been if it weren't for Auros and Team Thunderblaze." Watt (the Plusle) said.

"Yeah!" Joule (the Minun) chimed in. "They were so awesome!"

"You have my thanks, you two. And you as well, Auros." Dynamo said. "And as for your reward...well, take a good gander at this!" He held out a large bag of money containing 10,000 P.

"Whoa, all that money!?" Bolt shouted. "Flare, we're rich!"

"Uh...about that..."Auros said, nervously scratching his head. "The guild rules state that 90% of the reward money goes to the guild to finance it's needs such as supplies, plumbing, electricity, the works."

"Awwwwww..." Bolt moaned.

"Those are the rules." Flare said, trying to comfort Bolt.

"Sorry." Auros said. "Here's your 1,000 P though. I'll take the rest to Dad." He then lifted the sack, leaving the amount he promised, and carrying the rest straight to the Guildmaster.

After that, Bolt and Flare headed to Audino's office to get Flare's leg treated. Later that day, dinner rolled by, and before they knew it, the guild was having fun chatting in the baths. "Ahhhhhhh..."Bolt sighed as his sore body felt the gentle caress of the mineral-rich, steaming water. " That feels nice."

"Yeah, this is the best hot spring I've ever been in myself." Auros said, reclining in the water.

"So, Auros, how'd they do on their first mission?" Koal the Tepig asked.

"They did just fine." Auros said casually. "Though they still have a few things to work on."

"You mean like how you need to work on your flirting techniques?" Bolt joked.

"I'm warning you, hairball hacker! One more word, and I'll-!" Auros warned.

"You'll what? 'Flatten me like a boulder'?" Bolt chuckled. "You could do that. You weigh just enough!" The boys' bath howled with laughter, and meanwhile on the Girls' side, the females were wondering what all the racket was about.

"Geez, men can be so noisy..." Ivy said, an irritated look on her face.

"Maybe they're having fun!" Shine the Pikachu wondered. "Let's go see!" Before she could climb out, however, Ivy pulled her tail, keeping her in the water.

"Hold it, sweetie. I know you're hyperactive and curious, but we're not allowed in there, just as they aren't allowed in here." She said. Then she added under her breath: "Not that the rules stopped Auros from sneaking in here..."

"Um..." Flare said, not sure how to start a conversation with such a setup.

"Yes?" Ivy asked.

"W-well, I was wondering where all the staff are...?" Flare asked.

"They have a separate bathtime from us for some reason." Shine said. "I still think it'd be more fun if they were here with us. like a big party!"

"So, Flare..." Ivy said, changing the subject. "How was your first assignment?"

"It went...well." Flare said, rather nervously. "I mean, there were a few kinks here and there, but we completed it!"

"That's good." Ivy said. "And did Auros pull any of his flirting tricks on ya?" Flare nodded. "Lemme guess. he said he had an extra ticket or reservation to something and offered to bring you along too."

"W-wow, you're good..." Flare said, amazed.

After baths, the students all climbed into bed, tired from another hard day's work. Flare couldn't sleep, though. She was still excited about the day that had just occurred to her. She had gotten to go on a genuine Exploration mission, and stick up for herself to boot!

"Hey Bolt?" She said, looking over her shoulder to the Shinx in the bed besides hers. "Are you awake? It's just that...today is by far one of the best days of my life. I mean, yeah, we didn't get such a big reward, but it felt nice helping other Pokemon who needed it. And to actually stick up for myself...that felt good too. Bolt...? ...You're probably asleep already...Okay, good night, Bolt. Here's hoping for another good day tomorrow."

With those words, the young Vulpix fell asleep.


	12. Chapter 10

Bolt and Flare woke up from their slumber, once more to the sound of Excadrill's solo fanfare. They were in good spirits during morning announcements and breakfast, but weren't aware they were being watched. From his table, Razor glared at them, thinking...plotting...

"Razor...?" Senshi said. Razor just grunted in response. "What is it you're planning this time?" He just got another grunt in response.

"Just let it go, Senshi." Kroc said, eating. "He'll tell us when he's ready."

A few minutes later, Excadrill came into the room with a piece of paper. "Master Bolt, Mistress Flare," he addressed. "You have a message from Dynamo the Electabuzz." He handed the paper to the duo before walking out. Bolt and Flare looked at the letter curiously.

 _To Bolt the Shinx and Flare the Vulpix,_

 _I was thinking to meself that I probably could have done more to thank to two of ya for saving me nephews than just give you a bag of gold. I wanted to do more for ya. Come by me shop down by the lake when you have the free time. I got somethin' interesting for the both of ya._

 _From Dynamo._

"We could go before we head out on our assignment." Flare suggested, "What do you think?"

"Hey, no argument here." Bolt replied. "Just let me finish up breakfast". He took another Cheri berry galette and stuffed it into his mouth, enjoying the tangy flavor. "Wow, the cooks here are great...huh?" Bolt had tasted something else in his treat, something that was extremely intense. Within seconds, the spiciness of the Tomato berries had begun to scorch Bolt's tongue as he desperately searched to douse the sensation with water. Everyone who watched knew what had happened, except Flare, and either chuckled or rolled their eyes. Team Darkstorm, however, howled with laughter. Behind Flare, Zorro the Zorua was laughing his head off at his own prank.

"Oh Arceus!" he snickered, "That look on his face...!" He couldn't finish the sentence over his laughs. Suddenly, a vine wrapped around his rear leg and yanked him into the air. The very next instant, Zorro was looking right into the glare of Ivy. "Uhhh...h-hey, Ives." he said with a nervous chuckle, "How's it 'hanging'?"

"Don't you think this one was a bit much, Zorro?" Ivy questioned in a cold voice. "One Tomato berry would have been enough, ya know."

"Yeah, but don't tell me you didn't enjoy Bolt's expression when he ate a gallete stuffed with them!" He snickered again. "Besides, it's not like I can fight my own nature, am I right?"

"Just...get to your seat." Ivy said before dropping the Zorua onto his head.

"Sheesh...you try to have a little fun..." Zorro muttered. He then made his way to his seat.

"I'm sorry about him." Ivy said to Bolt and Flare with an exasperated sigh. "He's the town prankster, and he's good at his job, so be careful about him."

"O-oh...I see..." Flare stammered as Bolt returned to the table, chugging down a pitcher of water.

After breakfast, Bolt and Flare left the guild and headed down to the crossroads. "We turn here to reach the village or the airship field, but to get to the lake, we just keep going." Flare pointed out as they walked down to the lake path. As the massive body of water came into view, the sunlight shimmering in the ripples, Flare got a few chills down her spine as unpleasant memories of this place came to mind. So many times she's been dragged here and tormented by Razor and his crew. So many times where there was no one who would save her, or knew she needed saving. Bolt looked over his shoulder at the Vulpix and stopped upon seeing the look on her face.

"Hey, you alright?" he asked, walking up a bit closer.

"Y-yeah..." Flare muttered. "Just...remembering things I wish I didn't..."

"Hey, come on. At least you had one good memory here." The Shinx chimed. "Do you know what that is?" Flare just shook her head in response. "We got to meet here for the first time. And this was the first time you actually stood up to Razor and his cronies. So think about that, instead. After all, 'When looking to the past, the good times are the best to remember'."

"Who told you that?" Flare asked.

"To be honest, I dunno." Bolt replied. "The saying just popped up in my head...I just remember it."

"W-wait, you're getting your memory back?!" Flare asked excitedly. "What else do you remember?!"

"That's about it, I'm afraid." Bolt sighed. "I think that's the shop over there." He used his paw to point to a small cabin with a large gear arching over the doorway. Just as they reached the door, they felt the wooden front porch shake under their paws. "Whoa! What's going on!?" Bolt shouted over a loud rumble from within the cabin.

"SHE'S GONNA BLOW! TAKE COVER!" yelled a voice from within. All of a sudden, Dynamo burst out of the door with his nephews and slammed into Bolt and Flare, knocking them off the front porch. The house itself began to bulge it's walls before a loud bang was heard within. When all the ruckus was over, smoke was pouring out of the broken windows and cracked walls.

"Owwwww..." Bolt moaned as he got up,"Hey, Dynamo..."

"Sorry about that, laddie." Dynamo said, helping him up as Watt and Joule helped Flare. "This sort of happens frequently."

"Trust me, Uncle Dynamo blows something up at least once a week." Watt snickered. "Usually with an invention gone wrong."

"Haven't you heard the racket from the lake? The whole town knows about it!" Joule laughed.

"Hey! I'll have none o' that from the two of you!" Dynamo exclaimed, a vein popping up on his forehead. "Now go on and set up the shop!" The two Cheering Pokémon rushed away, laughing at the rather comedic face of anger on Dynamo's face. "Heh heh...I, uh, apologize for that. Those two are real rascals, don't ya know? Ah, but kids'll be kids. Anyways, digressions aside, you two are in fer a real treat! For you and the whole guild!" He walked over to his cabin and walked in. Once more, the cabin began to shake. Bolt and Flare watched in awe as a shop unfolded from the side wall of the cabin, complete with a working space, counters and shelves. "Welcome to Dynamo's Goods n' Gears!"

"W-wow..." Flare breathed, amazed at how such a shop could fit into such a compact space.

"Wow, indeed, lass! This shop is me pride and joy! Come, come! I have so many things to discuss with you." He invited them over to his shop. "As you see, I'm an inventor. I tinker with bits of machinery here, create a new device there. And my works are mostly focused on explorers. Like this for example." He took out a small, flat, rectangular device and pressed the button on the bottom. Immediately, it expanded into a screen showing the layout of the lake. "This map keeps track of the area's structure and where certain key features are. I figured it'd come in handy for explorers to navigate through mystery dungeons."

"That's pretty awesome!" Bolt said, "But how does it work?"

"Well, you know how the map in your bag changes with each new location you discover?" Dynamo said. Both explorers nodded. "Well, I thought to meself if I used the same technology and properties, it could make a map of a smaller, more confined area such as the floors of a mystery dungeon."

"I don't know what all that science stuff meant, but I think it's awesome!" Bolt said, his eyes sparkling with wonder.

"Uh...thanks, lad, I guess...'twas nothin' really." Dynamo gave a nervous chuckle. "So if ye ever need anythin' don't hesitate to let me know. Oh! and you can keep this..." He handed them the dungeon map. "Free of charge! Now off ye go, children. You can test that beauty out on today's mission, I presume."

"Thanks a lot, Dynamo!" Bolt shouted as he ran off.

"Th-thank you..." Flare stammered, bowing her head respectfully and taking off behind Bolt. However, neither inventor nor explorers knew that they were being watched. Two cloaked figures hid in the treetops, observing Dynamo's new devices.

"Well, brother? What do you think?" Asked the taller of the two.

"I think we should pay the brougish inventor a visit." Chuckled the shorter figure. "That kind of technology would come in handy for us..."

Meanwhile, back at the guild, Razor and his team were looking for a job to do. But Razor couldn't focus. He wanted to get back at Bolt for ruining his fun, and for insulting him at the lake. He wanted that Hairball Hacker to pay. Just then, a certain poster caught his eye. A grin flashed across the sneasel's face as an idea pieced together in his head...

Later that day, Dynamo had finished packing up in his shop with Watt and Joule's help, and was now cooking dinner. He was looking forward to getting back to work at long last, and for such good clients such as the Lucario Guild. It was a big opportuinity, for both him and his young nephews.

"Uncle Dynamo, we finished packing up the materials!" Watt called out.

"Did you make sure to do it right this time? No cutting corners?" Dynamo asked.

"Uh-huh!" Joule chimed. "Everything's all in it's place."

"Okay, I'll take your word for it, lads." the Electabuzz sighed. "Bless ye, ye have the same kind spirit as your mother." He remembered his dear sister, a Minun, very fondly. She was often discriminated by the other explorers in her hometown because of how weak her species was. Despite all that though, she still became a successful explorer with her husband's help. The two of them, Team Gemini, were currently on a year-long expedition to uncharted territories to survey the land. Watt and Joule, in the meantime, were to stay with him. He didn't complain about them. As mischievous and irritating as they were, they were still their mother's children and showed it frequently. Not to mention Dynamo had been looking for an apprentice to take under his wing. By the end of the first month, he had begun to teach them his art of machinery, and since then, they have improved significantly. However, Dynamo's train of thought was interrupted by a loud banging on the door. When he answered, two cloaked figures were on his porch.

"Hello there, good sir. You must be the inventor Dynamo." the larger one addressed. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Er...same." Dynamo said, unsure about how he felt about these two strangers. "Is there anything you need from me?"

"As a matter of fact...yes, there is. We would like to make a few purchases from you." The shorter one said, attempting to step into the house and walking past Dynamo.

"Hey wait a minute, you can't just barge into my house without my consent!" Dynamo snapped. "Besides, we're closed for the day! Come back tomorrow."

"I'm afraid we do not have the time for that." The larger one spoke. "Now let us see what you have in stock, or we'll be forced to-!"

"Uncle Dynamo, is something wrong?" Watt asked, poking his head out. Dynamo looked over toward him and Joule as he joined his twin.

"N-nothing's wrong, lads." Dynamo said, before turning to the two figures. "Get out of me house! Now!" he yelled, clearly furious. The two of them stood there for a moment, then the smaller one sighed.

"What a shame, Mase..." the shorter one said. "It looks like we'll have to take...drastic measures." Within the next second, he was behind Dynamo, holding Watt and Joule in the air, the blades on his gauntlets at their throats. Dynamo watched in horror as the smaller figure glared at him coldly.

"H-hey, what's going on?!" Watt cried out.

"Let us go!" Joule shouted.

"PUT THEM DOWN RIGHT N- !" Dynamo was silenced by a glare from the larger figure. Then, the stranger lifted the hood from his cloak. "W-wait a second...!" the Electabuzz gasped. "T-that marking on your forehead!"

"That's right." The large Bisharp replied. "And now that you know who we are, you know we are not to be messed with. Now either you give in to our demands, or you'll have two corpses to clean up." Dynamo gritted his teeth, and grimly nodded. This day certainly hasn't turned for the better.


	13. Chapter 11

Bolt and Flare awoke once more from their evening slumber by Excadrill's beautiful morning fanfare the very next day. Now well-rested after their most recent successful mission (thanks to the new dungeon map they had received from Dynamo), they headed down to the main hall to listen to the day's morning announcements.

"Good morning, everybody." Lucario addressed when he saw all were present and accounted for. "First off, I have a rather special announcement. It has come to my attention that Dynamo's Goods n' Gears has been reopened here in Cumula Town. You'll find his shop down by the lake to the south of town." A few mutters came here and there.

"Dynamo's Goods n' Gears?" Auros asked. "What kind of shop or service is that?"

"It's a mechanic's shop where you can buy all sorts of gizmos to help you in your explorations and missions." Koal explained. "Dynamo is the owner of the shop, and a skilled inventor."

"Wow..." Shine the Pikachu said, her eyes sparkling with wonder. "We gotta go meet this guy, Auros! Maybe we can get one of those nifty maps like Bolt and Flare did! Can we go? PLEEEEEEAAAASE?"

"Calm down, Shine..." Auros sighed. "We'll swing by after our mission and take a look."

"In other news," the guildmaster continued, "Our messenger Swellow has asked me to remind you not to take any missions above your league, for your own safety. Remember the higher the rank of a mission, the more dangerous it will be. I'm talking to you, Zorro!" Zorro gave a nervous chuckle as he went to put the request he had hidden in his team bag back on the billboard.

"What's he talking about, Ivy?" Flare whispered to the Snivy beside them.

"Well, as you know, you and Bolt are Normal Rank explorers. This means you could only take missions of up to D-rank, since it suits your difficulty. However, you cannot take C-ranks or higher until you rank up." Ivy explained. "Doing so will result in severe punishment by guild standards."

"O-oh...I see..." Flare said.

"And finally, remember that tomorrow there will be a storm, so have your ponchos ready and only go outside if necessary." Lucario concluded. "That is all." With that, the guild said their creed and made their way to the mess hall for their breakfast.

Everyone was in good spirits as usual throughout the mealtime. Razor was once again pummeled by Lucario without the latter breaking a sweat, Zorro was pulling tricks and pranks as he normally did, getting a laugh out of the groups, and Auros was flirting with the girls with no success. Excadrill smiled as he left the cafeteria early and headed to the door for sentry duty. But that smile faded when he later recalled the oncoming storm; the fifth one this month. This worried him since they've been getting stronger with each occurrence, and more frequent as time went by. What did all of this mean? "Well," he sighed as he looked up at the sky, "At least this time we get a bit of calm before the storm."

"E-excuse me, Mr. Excadrill?" a small voice spoke up behind him. It was Flare.

"Ah, Mistress Flare." Excadrill greeted with a smile. "How might I be of service?"

"W-well...c-could you pass this letter to Swellow when you see her so she could deliver it?" She asked nervously

"Certainly. I'll go look for her right away." And with that the old Ground-Steel type was off. Flare was amazed at how Excadrill could move so fast and do so many jobs at his age without even looking exhausted. Was he really 74 as she had heard? Was this normal for Excadrills? Her mental concentration was broken, however, when she heard someone call out to her.

"Flare! Thank goodness I found ya!" Dynamo wheezed as he staggered up to her, bruised and beaten. "I...need your guild's help again! It's an emergency!"

"Wh-what is it?!" Flare stammered, surprised at the Electabuzz's panic. "And where are Watt and Joule?!"

"Th-they were...taken from me..." Electabuzz sobbed. "Two outlaws came in and took them...I tried to stop them, but...th-they knocked me out and took them!"

"Watt and Joule were Kidnapped?!" Flare shouted. "H-hang on, wait right here. I'll get Guildmaster Lucario so he can hear you out!" The vulpix then turned around and zipped away, heading straight for Lucario's chamber.

Guildmaster Lucario was meditating quietly, sitting in the midst of his dimly-lit chamber, the scent of burning incense filling the air and the candlelight flickering in and out. After a few seconds, he spoke: "Yes, Flare? what is it?" The Vulpix who just made it to the door quickly caught her breath.

"G-guildmaster Lucario! We have an emergency!" Flare said, in a slight panic.

"I'm listening..." Lucario assured.

"Come on, Dynamo will explain when he meets with you!" Flare called as she ran down the hall, the Lucario right behind her.

Meanwhile, Bolt was at the inn chowing down on some of Kangaskhan's dishes with delight. The other guests were quite surprised at the young Shinx's unfathomable appetite as he cleaned his plates. He was just about to finish another batch of berry pastries when Swellow swooped in and snagged Bolt by the tail, pulling him out before he had even realized what had happened. "Flare needs you for something." She explained as she carried the wriggling shinx in her talons. "And don't squirm or I'll drop you."

"Couldn't it wait until after my meal?" Bolt groaned.

"Knowing you...no." Swellow sighed. She carried the reluctant shinx to the guild and dropped him off at the drawbridge.

"Hey Flare, what's up?" Bolt greeted as he caught up to her. "Something happen?"

"Watt and Joule were kidnapped!" Flare said rather loudly. "The poor kids...and right after we just rescued them..."

"So, what did the attackers look like? What kind of Pokémon were they? What attire did they wear, if any?" Lucario inquired as he strode down the hall, Dynamo right behind him.

"I-it was the Bisharp Brothers, Mase and Mune!" Dynamo said.

"The illegal slave traders who kidnap Pokemon and sell them of to slavery in distant countries?!" Flare gasped. A dark look came across Lucario's face as unpleasant memories of the criminal duo ravaged his thoughts. Bolt, however, seemed unfazed, not having a clue about what they were talking about.

"Why would they attack a shop?" the guildmaster pondered, "They normally lie in wait in the wilderness or in a mystery dungeon and ambush their victims."

"They were after my inventions, the map in particular. But the one I gave Bolt and Flare is only a prototype." Dynamo explained. "They said to meet them at the Frost Forest to exchange the map for my nephews."

"Frost Forest! Got it!" Bolt said, having finished packing. "Come on, Flare, let's g-" Before he could finish, Lucario lifted the Shinx up by his backpack.

"You're not going anywhere, Bolt." He said sternly. "Even if you found the two of them, they're in a whole other league of power than you!"

"But I can't just sit here and do nothing!" Bolt exclaimed, "What kind of explorer would I be then?!"

"A wise explorer always understands his limits, and never heads into danger recklessly." Lucario said.

"B-Bolt, we're only rookie explorers. We can't accept the mission anyways." Flare explained. "Besides, we're just not ready for an A-class pair of criminals like them..."

"Speak for yourself, Flare! If you're too scared, I'll just go on my own!" Bolt snapped, getting somewhat irritated now.

"B-but I only want what's..." Flare's voice trailed off.

"You're not my mother!" Bolt snarled. "I know what I'm doing! Besides, how can I just stand aside and let two scumbags do who-knows-what to Watt and Joule?!"

"You're not going, Bolt, and that's final." Lucario stated, giving a harsh look to Bolt. "We'll send a more advanced team on the mission after dinner." The Shinx growled in frustration, then stormed off, grumbling to himself.

"Guildmaster...?" Flare started, looking a bit worried.

"Everything will be fine, Flare. I promise." Lucario assured her, kneeling down and patting her head.

Bolt's rather foul mood lasted throughout the day. He couldn't explain why, but he just felt so agitated. No matter what he tried to relax, nothing worked. Watt and Joule were still fresh on his mind. The poor kids; who knows what they're going through? He couldn't help but worry about them. As he tried to calm down by the lake, something surfaced in his mind. A voice...one that felt familiar to him. "Bolt," it said, "Always follow your heart, and do what you think is the right thing." Bolt replayed this saying in his head over and over, trying to remember where it came from. But then...he realized the reason he remembered it. Without a moment's hesitation, he stood up and headed back to town. However, deep in the shadows of the nearby woods, three troublemakers watched the courageous Shinx leave, the one in front with a grin. Everything was going according to plan...

Dinnertime came around at the guild as the setting sun casted long shadows over the town. Everything seemed to be normal, except there was more food piled up in the trays than usual, and Flare was sitting by herself. It wasn't long before Ivy noticed and brought Shine along to talk with her. "Hey, Flare." She said as she sat down, the Vulpix flinching out of her own thoughts.

"O-oh, hi, Ivy...hello Shine." Flare stammered.

"So where's Bolt? Doesn't he normally sit with you?" Shine asked.

"I don't know where he is..." Flare answered, "It's strange; Bolt would never miss dinner..." Just then, the Pawniard from a few days ago, Paladin, strode into the room and headed straight to the guildmaster's table without saying a word to anyone. He then whispered something into the canine's ear that made his eyes almost double in size.

"HE DID WHAT?!" he shouted, getting everyone's attention. Before anyone could ask "What's wrong" or "What's going on", he was already out of the room. He quickly ran to the mission boards and saw that the Bisharp Bros. mission request was missing. Flare followed close behind, along with the other members of the guild, and when they all saw what the guildmaster had seen, it became clear where Bolt had run off to...


	14. Chapter 12

Snow drifted down slowly over Frost Forest as Bolt trudged on through the freezing substance. Not helping was the frigid air and his lack of any winter wear. Even with his fur coat intact, Bolt still shivered. _Way to go, Bolt._ He griped to himself, _You forgot to bring a coat to a place called Frost Forest. Why didn't I see this cold coming just from the name?_ As he plodded along the tree-lined path, trying to ignore the cold he was feeling, he wondered if anyone noticed he was gone. And if so, if they knew where he was now: on the third floor of Frost Forest. All of this stopped short in his mind by the sound of a growling stomach. His growling stomach, to be precise. "Alright, alright. Stop lowering my attack." He joked to himself. He looked into his bag...and saw it almost completely empty. All that was left in there was a pure seed, two oran berries, and his last apple. _And, of course, I just had to eat all of my food..._ He munched on the apple, the skin of it somewhat cold from the weather, but also adding a nice crispness, as he walked through the dungeon.

As he came into the next clearing, he got a beautiful view of the clear night sky, the stars twinkling graciously and the full moon shining it's silver beauty upon the snow, which reflected the radiant rays of light. "On the bright side, it's a really good night out," he stated to no one in particular. "plus the smell of pine trees is really something nice." However, his moment of peace was short lived, as out of the brush, two Snovers charged at him from the foliage. Bolt barely reacted in time to avoid the razor sharp leaves that flew at him like deadly knives, cutting his cheek. "Alright, bring it on!" He yelled as he got into position, but before the Snovers could make a move, a powder snow attack struck Bolt from the side as a Cubchoo joined in. The ice types closed in on the Shinx as he growled in frustration. _How can this get any worse...?_

Bolt wasn't the only Pokémon in the forest feeling a bit frustrated. As Flare trudged through the deep snow, she couldn't help but wonder if Bolt was even feeling guilty for breaking the guildmaster's orders. Granted, he meant well, but rules were rules. Didn't Bolt realize that he could most likely die going up against outlaws of that caliber with what little experience he had?! The Vulpix sighed as she reminded herself that she was in trouble too. For one thing, she snuck out of the guild to go after him while they were all busy deciding what to do. For another, they were now out past curfew. And finally, she too should not be here, in a dungeon above her level, and full of stronger Pokémon. With that thought fresh in mind, she carefully glanced around for any enemies, hoping to avoid a conflict. Soon, she came upon a clearing and entered it. It was empty, but Flare could tell from the fresh footprints she was getting close to her partner. Hopefully, she could convince him to come back to the guild with her. With that on her mind, she picked up her pace.

Bolt let out a yell as he was knocked back for the nth time in this fight. With every Pokémon he managed to knock out, a new one just seemed to take it's place. His stamina was gradually decreasing now, and he was plenty battered up. The three Cubchoos he was now facing all used powder snow on the Shinx, setting even more damage onto the already weary rookie. Bolt tried to retaliate, but as he tried to take a step forward, he realized his foot was frozen to the ground by that last attack! Growling in frustration, he braced himself as the Cubchoos charged in for the finishing blow...just as an ember attack hit them from the side. Bewildered, Bolt turned to see who had helped him, and found Flare running up to him. Quickly she melted the ice on Bolt's paw with her flames before turning back toward the ice type Pokémon which were now picking themselves up off the ground. Bolt smiled as he darted to and fro, feeling light on his paws as he struck one Cubchoo with tackle, then the next. Before the third could attack him, however, he leaped over his head, drawing his attention toward him as Flare fired off another ember attack. The small flames sent the little bear Pokémon toppling forward into Bolt's third tackle, knocking it out.  
With that, the battle was won.

Bolt took a few moments to catch his breath before finally turning to Flare. "Thanks for the help, Flare." he said with a smile. Then, said smile faded into a look of confusion. "Wait, what're you doing out here, anyways?"

"I should be asking you the same thing" Flare stated, actually looking a little cross. "Do you have any idea the caliber of danger you're throwing yourself into?!"

"Oh. I get it. You only followed me here to scold me." Bolt said, his face contorting into a slight scowl

"I'm here to take you back to the guild." Flare said, "Bolt, this is all above us! this dungeon, who you're chasing, everything about this! We're nowhere near ready to take on these criminals! Guildmaster Lucario's worried sick about you!"

"I'm not going anywhere until I have Watt and Joule freed and home safe." Bolt remarked. "So have a safe trip back."

"I won't let you get yourself killed!" Flare shouted as she darted in front of him to block his path. "Bolt, please, come back. We don't stand a chance against these two. We'd only be getting ourselves in even bigger trouble!"

"I'll take my chances, Flare. now stand aside." Bolt ordered, looking angrier by the minute. Flare trembled, but stood her ground. Looking to the snow at her feet, she finally uttered something after ten seconds of silence.

"No."

"What was that?" Bolt said, having missed the reply.

"I said NO!" Flare shouted, now showing a look of anger the Shinx had never seen before. "Why can't you listen to what i'm trying to tell you, you stubborn idiot?!" This was completely unlike Flare, but this was all she could think right now. "There's nothing we can do in this kind of situation. We're rookies, for Arceus' sake! And you insist on taking on a pair of criminals that are only obliged to GOLD RANK AND ABOVE?! WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GONNA HAPPEN?! YOU THINK BY SOME MIRACLE YOU CAN BEAT MASE AND MUNE JUST BY REALLY WANTING TO?!"

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE ODDS AGAINST ME!" Bolt yelled back. "AS LONG AS I CAN TRY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, I WILL!" he shoved past Flare and looked behind him. "If you want to watch helplessly from the sidelines like the coward you are, be my guest. I don't need someone like you slowing me down." He snarled. Before he turned ahead, however, he noticed Flare was trembling. Tears dripped from her cheeks as small hiccups and sniffs came from the Vulpix. The next instant, anger left his conscious, and guilt took his place. Before he could say another word, however, Flare looked up at him, with anger and sadness mixed into a face that made Bolt freeze.

"So that's the thanks I get for coming out here and putting myself in trouble too?" she muttered in a cracked voice, "After going through this freezing dungeon and save you?" she paused. "Do you know why I did all of that, Bolt? Because I cared about you! You were the first true friend I had! But now...I'm starting to think maybe it was a mistake believing that."

"Flare-"

"Save it. I know what you want. And if that's how you feel about me..." Flare took off her explorer's goggles. "Maybe we shouldn't be partners." Dropping the goggles into the snow, Flare took off, more tears flying from her eyes. Bolt watched on, regretting every word he said to her. She didn't deserve any of it, and he deserved every word she said to him. Silently, Bolt took the pair of goggles and placed them in his bag. He couldn't believe he was stupid enough to drive away his friend like that, after everything she did for him. He was about to resume with his quest, when a scream pierced the silence of the forest, coming from the direction Flare headed. Immediately recognizing the voice, Bolt's heart filled with terror, and he quickly took off in the scream's direction. _Hang on, Flare!_ he thought, _I'm coming!_


	15. Chapter 13

"Are you sure this will work?" Senshi asked as he, Razor and Kroc dragged the unconscious Vulpix deeper and deeper into the forest. "What if we can't convince them we're on their side?"

"Trust me, Senshi, I've studied the Tundra Tribe before. They're a proud group of Pokémon who will always consider Ice types as one of them. " Razor said. "Besides, if we don't convince them, we run and have our OWN fun with her. Whatever happens, we can't have her interfering with our plans."

"I still find it strange that we caught her heading away from the stairs." Kroc said. "And without her goggles."

"Eh, she probably got too scared to keep looking for the chump. You know how much of a chicken she is." Razor replied. "As for her goggles, maybe she got into a fight with another Pokémon and they fell off. Either way, it comes to our advantage."

The troublemaking trio advanced onward, going further, and further away from the trail. Flare moaned a little bit and stirred, causing them to freeze, so as not to wake her up yet. When she stopped, they resumed their work.

"Y'know, Razor, you never told us how you came to meet Flare." Senshi said. "How did you?" Razor was silent for a long while, then spoke up.

"That's a story for another time, Senshi."

"HALT!" A sharp voice boomed from the thick forest ahead. The ground began to shake as a large, white, polar bear Pokémon made it's way toward him. "Who dares to trespass on my tribe's land?"

"Chief Beartic." Razor addressed, "My name is Razor, and we are explorers who have been sent to your forest to capture two outlaws. Me and my companions have captured one of them already, the Vulpix here, but her partner, the Shinx, has eluded us. We have searched for you to ask for your help; Assist us in our search and capture mission, and we will give you a generous share of the reward." The large chief considered the story for a moment as he analyzed the group. Sure enough they were explorers, telling from the goggles they wore, and his tone sounded sincere. Normally, he wouldn't consider working with outsiders, but if the other outlaw was able to elude them, he could have trouble himself in securing the troublemaker's captor.

"Very well." Beartic replied. "I choose to believe your story. But keep in mind we aren't friendly with outsiders like yourselves, even if you are an ice-type. With that said," his tone changed to a menacing growl, "Pull any schemes on me or my people, and I'll know just what I want for dinner tonight. Understood?" Razor seemed the least fazed of the three. He simply nodded, keeping his interior smile of glee to himself. The plan was going smoother than it ever could. Having confirmed their position, the chief and explorers continued toward their camp, dragging Flare along into the wooden abyss.

Bolt searched the dungeon tirelessly for his missing partner, feelings of guilt, worry, and frustration with himself filling his mind as he looked. This whole mess was his fault. If he hadn't been such a stubborn jerk to Flare, she wouldn't have gotten herself hurt...or worse. Bolt shuddered at the thought. The poor Vulpix was so timid, and she was about the same level as him. If he didn't find her, she could most likely have fainted. And since her explorer's goggles were off, she wouldn't be warped back. She'd be at the mercy of the aggressive Pokémon of this dungeon. Bolt picked up his pace. "FLAAAAAARE!" he called out,"WHERE ARE YOU?!" Suddenly, out of nowhere, a stone dropped onto the Shinx's head from a treetop, knocking him out.

Flare finally came to, her eyes fluttering open to see her surroundings. Her vision was still blurry, but she could make out the forest around her and the snow beneath. Shaking her head, she tried to reach for the ache at the back of her head, but her paw wouldn't move. It was stuck. Confused, Flare looked down at her paws with a muffled cry. They were frozen to the ground, binding the Vulpix in place. Flare tried to cry out again, but her special scarf acted as a gag, and there was a strange, bitter taste to it. Flare tried to writhe or even move at all, now in a panic, but she felt completely numb across her whole body up to her neck. She couldn't even focus to use a move. She was trapped in every way possible. Her vision beginning to clear up, she looked around again. There, standing before her was an all too familiar smile with the tip of a scar.

"Good morning." Razor sneered, smiling at the terror displayed on the young Vulpix's face. "I'm curious...how does it feel to be paralyzed from the neck down? Those berry concoctions the Tundra Tribe make are something else, aren't they? Oh wait...you can't respond with that gag in your mouth. Never mind, then." He began to circle Flare, every now and then brushing her with his claws to get a reaction. "You know, your friend Bolt made a big mistake messing with me and insulting me like that. And since we never got to finish our little game at the lake, I thought we'd finish it now. You'll get to watch as we drag his unconscious body back here and me and my crew report you to the guild for skipping curfew and defying orders. You'll be expelled, and while we'll be in trouble as well, at least we'll still get to be explorers." Flare just whimpered in response, unable to get a word in. Razor chuckled and gently dragged his claws across Flare's body once more, giving her an uncomfortable ticklish feeling that frightened her more. "You know, it's for the better, I think. I mean, what kind of explorer could a weak, clumsy, coward like you turn out to be? You'd probably fail every single mission you do. And that would give our guild a very bad name." Flare was on the verge of tears now, forced to listen to the words that cut her like a knife. "And the best part of all of this, is that you know I warned you about trying to be something you're not. Over and over and over, I tell you, you can't change who you are. Think about that when you're back at the inn, clearing our table." He then strode off, leaving her to mentally agonize from what he just said.

Back in Frost Forest, Bolt woke up to the sound of approaching footsteps. "Ugh...how long was I out...?" he asked, putting a paw to his head. He froze...he didn't feel the rubber strap of his goggles. Patting his forehead, he realized they were no longer on him. Someone had taken them! Now he was stuck here too! Upon further inspection, Bolt learned his bag was gone too. He looked around and found footprints, leading away from where he was out cold. Before he could register this clue into his mind, however, four Cubchoos with tribal headbands leaped out at the Shinx. Bolt quickly rolled out of the way, causing them to nearly collide into each other as they landed. Without missing a beat, he quickly took off, following the footprints deeper into the forest with the pack of Cubchoos pursuing him from the treetops. The small bear Pokémon knew where he was leading them, and they were ready to ambush him again when the time came. For now, they just had to wait for the right moment...


	16. Chapter 14

Bolt stopped at a clearing the trail he followed led to. He had to get his goggles back, he had to escape the dungeon and get help. Both for the twins and now Flare. He had to catch the thief. Scanning the clearing quickly from the corridor, he saw two figures and stayed hidden.

"Hey Kroc!" a familiar voice called out. It was Senshi! Looking back at the scraggy, he saw his goggles and bag firmly in his grasp. _Why are they here? And why did they take my goggles and bag?!_ The feline remained quiet as questions rambled through his head.

"You have them? Good. It seems everything is going according to Razor's plan. Honestly, that Sneasel's quite brilliant." the Sandile responded. With a grin, he continued. "Sometimes he even makes ME jealous."

"Eh, Brain Schmain, all I need is my muscle!" Senshi chuckled, flexing a bicep.

"Coming from the one who's head is 95% bone and 5% brain." Kroc sighed. "I wonder what Razor's up to"

"Probably giving Flare the biggest victory speech ever." Senshi said. "Maybe even some physical pain to boot." Bolt flinched at the mention of his partner.

 _Razor's here too?! And he's got Flare?!_

Bolt didn't get much time to mull all of this exposition over, as the moment he stopped, the Cubchoos behind him were already getting in position. They quickly pounced on the unsuspecting Shinx, tackling him into the clearing as Kroc and Senshi were just about to leave. "HEY!" Bolt shouted as he writhed under their combined weight. "GET OFF ME!"

"Well, wonders never cease." Kroc chuckled. "Right when I was about to mention you, here you are, eavesdropping. Have you no manners, Bolt?"

"Shut up! You don't deserve to lecture me, especially because of what you're doing now!" Bolt spat.

"Tsk tsk, Bolt. Why must you always be so hostile. We were just going to bring you back to prison where outlaws like you belong." Kroc snickered as Senshi slipped the Shinx's goggles into his bag without the Cubchoos noticing.

"So that's your set-up, huh?!" Bolt said, "You're framing us for a crime?!"

"No, idiot! we used that lie to trick the tribe into helping us! Once we get back to the camp with YOU in tow, we'll leave and bring you back to the guild!" Senshi laughed.

"Senshi...you half-witted moron." Kroc moaned with frustration, pointing to the shocked Cubchoos. Senshi's laughter died out as he realized what he said.

"Whoops."

"I'm sorry, who's the idiot here?" Bolt chuckled. Then with a wince, he looked up to the Cubchoos. "Hey, anytime you feel like getting off my back, I'd appreciate it." Before they could respond to the explorer's request, however, a high jump kick struck all four of them, knocking them off his back.

"Guess I better knock these little punks out, eh?" Senshi said, getting into his stance. "Don't want 'em getting in the way." He charged at the Cubchoos, but before either side could react, a tackle attack knocked Senshi's next high jump kick out of the way of his targets, causing him to miss and hurt himself. "What the-?!" There stood a determined, courageous, not to mention somewhat ticked off Shinx, ready to fight.

"He never learns, does he?" Kroc muttered to himself as he burrowed underground.

"I don't get it..." said one of the Cubchoos. "After everything we've done...why are you helping us?!"

"Because my partner, that Vulpix you have under custody told me that explorers always help those in need. She never said they had to be on your side." Bolt replied, giving the bewildered tribespeople a grin. However, he had little time to cherish the heartwarming moment as Kroc rocketed out of the ground and into Bolt's stomach, winding him before catching the Shinx in his jaws with a Crunch vice grip. Bolt struggled with all his might, but Kroc held on tightly, slowly crushing the shinx between his jaws. Senshi then got up, the damage from the failed move and tackle weighing heavily on him as he glared at the feline. He rushed toward him as Kroc tossed him his way...but never got to hit the electric type before being frozen over by a barrage of Powder Snows from the Cubchoos. Bolt slid across the snow, grunting as he looked up at the small bears that now stood between him and the mischief makers. Senshi fell over, completely frozen as Kroc gave them a nervous look.

"Ummmm..."he said, "Mercy?" The four replied with a combined Icy Wind, knocking Kroc off his feet and sending him into a tree.

"Thanks for the help, you guys." Bolt said. "But if you don't mind, I have one more favor to ask of you..."

Flare laid there for what felt like hours, Razor's hurtful words echoing in her head. Even if she knew what he was planning, she still couldn't do anything to stop him. And knowing what was to come only made her even more terrified. Her dream of becoming a great explorer would be shattered into millions of tiny pieces, never to be restored. She thought of Lucario sending them out, of Kangaskhan taking her back in, of working at the inn for the rest of her life with her loving adoptive mother. The more she thought of it, the more she was willing to accept it. _Maybe Razor was right..._ She thought to herself. _I'm not cut out to be an explorer...I didn't even last a week in the guild.  
Maybe...this __is_ _for the best..._ Tears fell from her face as she thought this. Then, a sound caught her attention. Footsteps. And they were fast approaching. She turned her head and saw Bolt and four Cubchoos burst out of the brush. As Bolt ducked and dodged through the storm of Icy Winds his pursuers were dishing out, he ran past Razor and the chief. "CATCH ME IF YA CAN, FROST FACE!" he called out to Razor with a confident grin on his face. He then took off back into the forest, an angered Sneasel and half the tribe after him. The four from before stayed behind by the chief's side.

"What's going on here?!" The chief roared.

"Well, Chief." One of the Cubchoos answered, "Have I got a story for you to hear."

Meanwhile, Razor and the swarm of Cubchoos were in for the surprise of their life as they chased the lone Shinx through the forest. With the help of his new buddies, Bolt had rigged the route he planned through the woods with various traps. Tree branches collapsed the second the tribespeople landed on them, causing them to fall into pitfalls laid all over the trees. Some got snagged in nets, and others in foot snares. Soon, only Razor was left chasing him. "I won't let you get away from me, you little hairball hacker!" He spat, "Your story ends here and now!"

"But we're only on the second story arc!" Bolt called out in response, "The fans would be enraged if it stopped here!" As he said this, he cut a rope he passed with his claws.

"Wait...what?" Razor took a second to register what Bolt just said mid-flight, slamming face first into a swinging log on a rope as he did so. The sneasel fell onto his back, knocked out. And with that, his goggles let out a glow and warped him back to the guild, just like for the other two.

Bolt returned to the campground triumphant and pleased, with Beartic, the remaining tribespeople, and a freed Flare waiting for them.

"Your cohorts told me that you were set up. I can see now this is true. No outlaw alive would have the heart to risk their life for someone they work with." The chief chuckled. "I admire your courage."

"Aw, come on, chief." Bolt said. "I don't deserve all that praise...besides, I...did make a mistake I want to correct." He looked toward Flare.

"Very well. We'll go gather up our tribe." With that, the Chief of the Tundra Tribe led his people out of the clearing, leaving the two of them alone. At first, there was a solid minute of awkward silence between the two of them. Then, Bolt spoke up.

"Hey, Flare...I'm sorry about how I acted toward you. You were just looking out for me, and I was a stubborn idiot." He said, looking down. "You don't deserve a partner like m-"

"Would you stop feeling sorry for yourself? I forgive you." Flare interrupted with a small smile. "Yes, I was hurt by your words, and yes, you were being an idiot..." She paused as Bolt winced to swallow his pride. "But you meant the best at heart when you snuck out, you admitted you were wrong, and you saved me. So I say we're even." Another moment of silence fell between them.

"Heh...and I had a whole speech written out and everything..." Bolt chuckled. "Sooooo...partners?" He asked nervously.

"Partners." Flare agreed, then she made a face of discomfort. "Ugh...I need to get my scarf washed when we get back..." she added, feeling how wet her scarf was from her own saliva.

"Ohhhhh..." Bolt moaned, realizing something. "They took our goggles with them. In other words...we're stuck."

"Wait, what?!" Flare yelped. "What do you mean, we're stuck?!"

"When you left your goggles, I put them in my bag. Then, I think a branch fell on me or something because i got knocked out, and when I woke up, my bag and Goggles were gone..." Bolt let out a nervous smile. "And before I could grab them back, they were transported out. Sorry."

"Bolt, you are aware that there's another option to get out of here, right?" Flare inquired. "There are three ways to get out of a mystery dungeon: Escape with explorer's goggles at the cost of losing money and items, or using an escape orb with no risk, Completing a mission, or Clearing a dungeon. In other words...the quickest way out of here-"

"-is to defeat Mase and Mune!" Bolt realized. "But didn't you say they were way out of our league?"

"We'll find a way, Bolt. We are partners after all." Flare said. Bolt considered, then gave a grinning nod.

"Alright, I'll trust you." Bolt said. And with a goal set, the two of them set off.


	17. Chapter 15

The snow was falling much harder now in Frost Forest, much to the dismay of the two young Pokémon trying to make their way through the freezing dungeon. Bolt and Flare had climbed up 3 more floors since the fiasco with Chief Beartic, the Tundra Tribe, and Team Darkstorm, and their stamina was beginning to run low, along with their supplies. Each step seemed to last for hours, and ended with an uncomfortable cold in the snow beneath them. Flare didn't really feel cold, but when she looked back to her partner, it was a whole other story. Bolt was shivering hard, huddling his legs in as he walked stiffly to preserve what body heat he had left. After a few seconds, Flare let out a sigh and reached into her bag.

"Here ya go." She said, passing a fur cloak to Bolt. "This winter cloak should keep you warm." Without hesitating, Bolt quickly wrapped the cloak around his body and let out a sigh of relief as warmth filled him to the very core.

"Ahhhhh, that feels nice..." he muttered.

"The fur that was spun into that cloak was donated by fire types." Flare said. "Supposedly, it stays warm even when soaked in the north sea."

"What about you? Aren't you cold?" Bolt asked, noticing Flare was still only wearing her Azure scarf.

"Not really," Flare replied, "I am a fire type myself, so my fur's extra warm, and my body heat's higher than other pokemon types." She then noticed the envious look on Bolt's face. "It's not really all that great. I tend to overheat easily in places like volcanoes or deserts because of it."

The two continued on, allowing a bit of silence between them. Then, after the next floor, the storm began to ease up. "Hey, the storm's lifting!" Bolt said. "About time, too! Any longer, and I might've been a shinx-sicle."

"Oh, great. now I don't have to stop you from eating yourself, then." Flare laughed. "Anyways, I think we're catching up to the Bisharp Brothers." She mentioned, pointing to the last clearing in the dungeon. "We better proceed with caution." Quietly, the two explorers tiptoed up to the clearing's edge, remaining hidden in the bushes and tree trunks. Set in the clearing was a large tent, a flickering light filtering out between the flaps. After checking to see if the coast was clear, they made their way to the tent and peeked inside. At either side of the tent, cages of various sizes were stacked as high as the tent roof, all containing unconscious or fearful Pokémon; From a battered Staraptor to a mighty Tyranitar, all labeled with numbered collars. "It looks like we have more Pokémon to rescue than we thought." Bolt said, dumbfounded by the sight. "I didn't know slavery was a thing."

"Well, it's illegal to own or sell slaves here, but there are regions that allow it, sadly." Flare said. "I can only imagine how they're treated."

"Let's not, and instead get to work." Bolt suggested. "Think you can melt the locks to weaken them?" Flare nodded, and the two got right to work. Bolt used his scarf as a makeshift harness as he tied them to the cage doors, and Flare melted the lock and hinges. This allowed Bolt to pull the doors right off with a good tug, and freed the pokemon within. "We better hurry," the Shinx said, "I'm sure the Bisharp Bros. won't be very happy to find their merchandise missing."

"Right..." Flare muttered, as she freed the Tyranitar. As they worked, the freed Pokémon aided them to the best of their ability. Once everyone was released, Bolt and Flare looked over the group. "None of these are Watt and Joule...where are they?"

"Hurry up, already! We're already behind schedule, no thanks to you!" an unfamiliar voice shouted outside.

"It's them!" one of the free Pokémon, an Eevee, whimpered. "It's the Bisharp Brothers! They're back!"

"I'll get their attention, while you all sneak out the back." Bolt said.

"Wha-?!" It took all of Flare's willpower not to shout. "No! Not by yourself! If you're going to confront them, so will I!"

"Flare...!" Bolt began, but then he saw the look on his partner's face. He looked down. "Right. We're partners, after all. Sorry." The Vulpix gave him a nod.

"But even if we do escape, how are we gonna get out of the mystery dungeon?" a Kirlia asked.

"This is the dungeon's last floor." Flare answered. "Just find the stairs and you'll be out in no time."

"Thank you, children." Tyranitar bowed his head to Bolt and Flare gratefully. "We are in your debt. Had I not been so dreadfully weakened by those swine, I would offer my aid to you in battle. As it stands, however..."

"Pick up the pace, Mase! Come on!" The voice was getting closer.

"Don't worry, we get it! This is no time to feel sorry!" Bolt hissed. "Now just wait for them to turn away." With that, the Shinx and Vulpix slid under the side of the tent and looked out into the forest. Two Bisharps were approaching the tent; one shorter than average with a white cloak, one larger and bulkier, with a black cloak. Between them they carried a fresh cage with the unconscious twins locked inside. "Looks like we found our kidnapped Plusle and Minun" Flare whispered. "Ready?"

"I was born ready." Bolt replied. As Flare zipped out of the shadows and over the heads of the two brothers, startling them, Bolt began using Charge. As soon as the two of them turned around to face Flare, Bolt dashed at the larger bisharp with spark as Flare tried to hit the smaller one with an ember attack. Neither attack landed. The larger bisharp caught Bolt, stopping his attack rather easily, and the smaller one sidestepped the ember attack at an incredible speed. Then, the large one threw Bolt straight into Flare, knocking the two of them back.

"Well well...looks like a couple of brats are trying to spoil our payroll." The short one replied. The larger one nodded as he placed the cage down.

"We're no brats, we're explorers!" Bolt snapped. "And you better be ready for a beat down, because I don't take kindly to kidnappers!" The two bisharps stared at the shinx for a few seconds, then burst out in fits of laughter. Bolt let out a low growl of annoyance.

"That's rich! A pair of runts like you, explorers?!" the larger one said between laughs, "You kids really crack me up!"

"Oh, so you don't believe me?" Bolt growled. "We'll show you!"

"Look, son, it's hard to believe you two are explorers being so young. And besides, you don't even have one of those sets of goggles!" the short one chuckled. "Also..." his added, his eyes focused on Flare, "I'd think twice before challenging us, unless, by some little chance, you haven't heard of us." Before Bolt could respond, the two went into some sort of dynamic duo presentation; "Swift as the heavens, Mune!" said the shorter, "and Mighty as the earth, Mase!" the larger concluded. Then, in unison, they called out "Together, we are the Yin and Yang of terror, the infamous Bisharp Brothers!" As they finished their chant, they did a sort of pose. Flare just sweatdropped as Bolt snickered.

"For being such a terrifying duo, their choreography's terrible." he said to Flare before turning to the brothers. The two seemed quite irked. "But bad presentation aside, we've got a bone to pick with you two! We're bringing you down and taking those twins back home!"

"Oh really?" Mune said, a look of amusement in his eyes, "Why don't you try it?" Suddenly, he raced toward them at a speed unimaginable for a bisharp. Bolt lashed out with spark in response, but it was a fake out, and Mune leaped up over them, knocking Flare back with night slash. At the same time, Mase used iron head to knock Bolt hard into the ground The shinx grunted as he staggered back up and evaded another blow. The teammates braced themselves as Mase and Mune charged again, initiating a battle!


	18. Chapter 16

The storm had arrived in Cumula Town earlier than Castform had anticipated. Heavy rain poured down from the skies and powerful winds danced with lightning, spreading their chaos. Most of the town was already asleep in their homes, but there were a few at the guild who couldn't even think about sleeping. Guildmaster Lucario looked out the window to observe the storm, beside himself with anger and worry. As if Bolt defying his orders wasn't bad enough, by bedtime, Flare went missing too! He had a good idea where she was heading, too. Then at about midnight, Team Darkstorm was found out cold and frozen in ice outside the front doors. He had no idea they left, but when he found Bolt and Flare's goggles and bag with them, he was beyond furious. His scowl melted a little into a face of worry as Delphox walked in. "Okay, I've sent Paladin." She stated, looking just as worried as Lucario was feeling, "Do you think he'll find them in time?"

"I only hope so, my dear." Lucario muttered, "Mase and Mune have dealt with explorers since they started their business, and any explorers they haven't killed were sold off into slavery in distant countries," He let out a sigh and turned to his beloved wife, allowing his anger to fade more. "And with their...unique ability, the odds are looking severely slim."

Back in Frost Forest, Bolt was kept on his toes by the mighty Mase as he swung blow after blow at him with knock off, keeping the shinx at a distance. Bolt tried to find an opening, and when he DID find on, he dashed in and used tackle. However, this worked against him, simply giving him a giant headache. "Oww...okay, in hindsight, that was a bad idea..." Just then, an iron head slammed into Bolt once more, knocking him back.

On the other side of the field, Flare took one blow after another, unable to keep up with Mune's incredible speed. He didn't let up for a second, dashing all over the place like a sentient torpedo and striking with precision. Each feint attack sent Flare staggering a different direction. "What's the matter?! Too slow to keep up?!" he taunted. Flare cried out as once again, she got knocked off her feet and into the snow. _What do I do?! I can't keep this up! Any more damage and I'll be at his mercy!_ She thought frantically. _No, no...don't panic. Focus..._ Flare closed her eyes, and took a deep breath as she looked around, eyes shifting to wherever she saw a blur, ears perking to every sound. Finally, she whirled around and fired an ember attack, which Mune was unfortunate enough to run straight into. He skidded back on his feet, trying to regain his balance as the Vulpix fired another one. This one hit him square in the chest, knocking him onto his back.

"Gah! Little brat!" He yelled as he staggered up.

"Two weaknesses." Flare stated.

"Wait, what?" Mune was stricken with confusion by this statement. "What're you talking about?!"

"There are two weaknesses to your fighting style." Flare explained. "The first one is that, although your speed helps you evade most attacks, you've exchanged your defenses to attain such speed. as a result, you take much more damage if you're ever hit."

"Well, aren't you a clever little mutt!" Mune growled as he dashed at her again. The vulpix responded barely in time, leaping aside and firing embers at the place she was standing. Once more, Mune skidded right into the blaze, earning yet another hit, and perhaps even a burn.

"And your second weakness," Flare continued, "is your lack of control of that speed, allowing others to use it against you." Mune simply let out small, high-pitched growls of frustration. The tides of the battle were shifting in her favor.

Meanwhile, Bolt and Mase were locked in a fierce, brutal duel. Mase kept trying to hit the little shinx, but thanks to his crimson scarf, the Shinx was just quick enough to outmaneuver the hulking metal giant. Diving over and under his blows, Bolt struck at every opening he could find with Spark, always moving. _He might be bigger , tougher, and stronger, but he's not as fast as me!_ He thought confidently as he evaded yet another blow. _If I'm careful, I can win this!_ As he said this, Mase began to charge at him once more, an iron head attack at the ready. Bolt prepared himself, using charge as he waited for the right moment. "I've got you now, little hairball hacker!" Mase yelled as he dove at Bolt. The Shinx dove aside, and turned around as quickly as possible.

"Who's got who now?!" he shot back as he struck once more with Spark. Mase stumbled back, tired out from the fight. This was getting them nowhere! The kids had started off at the same level as experience fodder, but now they were beginning to keep up with them! His thoughts were cut short when he realized he had landed in their now-empty tent.

"Wait...what?!" He got up and looked at the empty cages knocked aside, the locks melted. "Mune! Get over here!" His brother quickly joined his side. "What do you see?" Mune didn't answer, but Mase knew he had seen it. All of their precious merchandise...was gone.

"You...YOU LITTLE BRATS!" Mune fumed. "What have you done with our slaves?!"

"Seems they let them go before they got here." Mase inquired. Then he turned to Bolt and Flare. "You two really put our business into a tight spot, you little furballs! Now that our slaves are gone, we need to hunt for more!" He then let out a grin. "I suppose you two and that engineer's bratty twins will make a decent start."

"So I assume you know what to do, brother?" Mune cackled.

"Does a Miltank go moo?" Mase responded. Then the two got into a bizarre stance.

"Swiftness of the heavens!" Mune called out, the yin-yang symbols on the brothers' heads glowing.

"Might of the earth!" Mase added, the glow intensifying. Then, they shouted in unison:

"MASE, MUNE, FUSE!" Suddenly, a bright vortex of light engulfed them, turning them into silhouettes that drew closer and closer until they merged. Bolt and Flare watched in horror as not two Bisharps, but one gigantic, four-armed bisharp emerged from the light.

"Uh...is that normal?" Bolt asked, looking over to Flare.

"N-no...it isn't..." Flare stammered, shaking like a leaf as the giant began to charge.

Meanwhile, halfway through the dungeon, Paladin rushed amongst the treetops as quickly as he could, praying that somehow, he'd make it to them in time. As he raced along the branches, he saw a strange silhouette cross by the moonlight. Not bothered by it, he leaped over a gap between trees and continued on his task...

Bolt and Flare cried out as they were knocked back from the behemoth's night slash, unable to comprehend how something so big could move so fast! Bolt staggered to his feet, standing between the monstrous fusion and his struggling partner. He wasn't going to give up. Not now, not ever. With determination keeping him going, Bolt used spark once more, but only bounced harmlessly off the armored creature, who just laughed. "Is that your best?!" Mase/Mune taunted. "Pathetic! Weak!" He punted the feline away from him as Flare used ember, which he sidestepped, taking off at top speed once more. "In this form, our greatest attributes combine into one single mass of power! With Mase's might and Mune's speed, we are invincible!" Bolt and Flare faced a merciless barrage of attacks, weakening them ever further. Eventually, the two fell over, seemingly unable to continue.

"Ugh...I can't...m-move..." Bolt gasped, trying to recover the feeling in his body.

"Th-this is it for us...isn't it...?" Flare wheezed, turning her head (with what little strength she had left) to face her partner, fear coming over her. "W-we're never going back to Cumula Town again...are we?" Bolt didn't respond, but the look on his face, the uncertainty and hidden fear, was enough for her to confirm his thoughts.

"F-Flare..." Bolt muttered. "We...can't...give up yet!"

"What more can we do, Bolt?!" Flare cried out. "We gave it everything we had! This was our only chance to return home. We took it, but now..." She paused, tears slipping out of her eyes. "Now we won't even get to see home anymore..."

"Flare..." Bolt started, but he couldn't find the words to go on. His strength had completely left him, and try as he might, he couldn't move his body. He watched, glaring at the approaching fusion.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Where's your bravado now, brats?!" Mase/Mune laughed. "Well, time is money. When you wake up, you'll be in your cages!"

"BOLT! FLARE! DON'T GIVE UP YET!" Watt cried out from his cage, having woken up at last alongside his twin.

"NEVER GIVE UP! YOU'RE BETTER THAN THAT!" Joule added. Bolt and Flare looked up at the twins. They were right. The duo hadn't given up yet, so why start now? Bolt slowly began to rise to his feet, his muscles screaming in protest, but his mind set on one goal: defeat the Bisharp Bros. Flare got up after him, trying to keep from swaying.

"You two wanna keep fighting?! Sheesh." Mase/Mune stated, a smug grin on the fusion's face. "Well, if you wanted to suffer more, all you had to do was ask!" With a mighty roar, it charged at Bolt and Flare, ready to finish them off...

...Until a giant flash of light blinded it, enveloping it's victims. As it staggered back from the light, it felt something burning on their armor. The fusion fell backwards as the dazzling gleam attack ceased.

"Ummm...what just happened?" Bolt asked, his head spinning.

"Dazzling gleam? but who used it?" Flare looked about to find any other Pokémon, but to no avail. "Neither of us could've learned it..."

"Oh ho...so you still got more fight in you, eh?!" the fusion yelled, getting back up. "WELL, THEN, GET READY TO-" out of nowhere, a single black blur passed the fusion, a pawniard in a black winter cloak. Within seconds, the behemoth toppled to the ground, knocked out by the night slash.

"P-P-Paladin!" Flare stammered. "Wh-what are you doing here?" Paladin gave no answer at first. Instead, he observed as the fusion split back into Mase and Mune, the two of them out cold.

"I was on my way to rescue you two, but...it seems you didn't need rescuing." He explained, "Seems you did most of the work for me. It's quite impressive."

"But what about the dazzling gleam attack earlier?!" Flare asked. Paladin just gave her a look of confusion. She understood he had no idea what she was talking about. "Never mind, let's get the twins!" As soon as everyone was out of a cage and ready, Paladin used his goggles to warp all five of them home to the Lucario Guild.

As they left, however, they didn't notice the shadow at the clearing's border form into a Pokémon, his red eyes and smile tender as he put his fedora on and walked over to the knocked out criminals to apprehend them.


	19. Author's Note 2

Hello, PMD:EI readers, old and new. Welcome (back) to the author's notes! I sincerely apologize for the several delays this Arc had. Now that college is back up, I'll be very busy, and that's not when I'm trying to spend time with my friends. So...yeah.

Anyways, as you see, Bolt and Flare had just barely pulled through this one, with some outside help. But who is this mysterious shadow lurking about?

And now, it is time for this AN's event: The third arc shall involve the guild's expedition, where they will meet with the Desert Sheik. For this event, if you choose to participate, I need an idea for a side character to act as one of the Sheik's guards. Send your entries via the comment section, preferably (not necessarily) in this format:

(character name)  
(what Pokémon the character is)  
(character's personality)  
(optional backstory/trivia)  
(The Pokémon's moveset [maximum of 4 moves, canon only])  
(optional desc. of fighting style)

I look forward to seeing some exciting new entries, and I look forward to working on the next chapter.

This concludes the Bisharp Brothers Arc of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Infinity

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